Scaling the Butterfly
by Zachere
Summary: Discover the consequences of a single penstroke. Watch as lives are thrown into turmoil and the clear struggle between good and evil grows clouded. Choose your side.
1. Prologue

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_The torches spat three-foot flames into the air, but they were no match for the room's high-vaulted ceilings. The heat they gave off coiled in the shadowed heights of the room, and warmed no-one. The woman sitting on her golden throne atop the dais did not seem to notice the cold, for all that her garb was scanty, if magnificent. _

_The great horned headdress atop her head gave her the fierce look of an angry beast, and the gold and violet slip of a dress she wore artfully revealed the labor of her servants. Painted figures and diagrams adorned her golden flesh in intricate patterns that were admired by no-one, except perhaps the woman herself._

_The tattered scrapbook resting upon her lap looked utterly out of place among the cold finery with which the sorceress surrounded herself. It was quite old, and its worn green cover sported faded yellow sunflowers. The woman sat with her eyes downcast, staring at the floor with burnished golden eyes. One lacquered fingernail tapped the open page of the scrapbook._

_The page in question displayed a large newspaper clipping and its accompanying photograph. The picture showed one Squall Leonhart, almost smiling, surrounded by laughing friends. A dark-haired girl wearing blue grinned at the camera from her vantage point on Leonhart's arm. The headline of the article screamed, "LION OF BALAMB DESTROYS SORCERESS FROM FUTURE!"_

_The sorceress closed her eyes._

+

Instructor Quistis Trepe threw down her pen, removed her glasses, and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. Her lower back ached; she'd been sitting at her desk in her quarters for hours. 

Recent rumors that there were two or three contracts in the running that would be suitable for SeeD field exams had spurred the upper-level cadets into a frenzy of prerequisite attempts. She'd been up late every night this week grading, and tonight was no exception. 

Standing up, she stretched and fetched a glass of water from the tiny sink in her private bathroom. Only two more grade reports to go and she could sleep. Tomorrow would be an easy day at last: just her homeroom class in the morning, and only one student, Squall Leonhart, attempting the practical prerequisite. 

She smiled, thinking of him. There was no getting around it: she was smitten. The very thought of being alone with him during tomorrow's trip to the Fire Cavern gave her butterflies in her stomach. Of course, it would be inappropriate to act on her feelings while he was still her student, but when he passed his SeeD field exam, things might be different. 

Then again, she had no idea if he had any awareness of her existence outside of her role as Instructor. He was a classic loner; he had no friends and didn't seem to want any. It was hard to say what might notice. 

There was a knock at the door. Quistis glanced at the clock before setting aside her glass of water. It was already past midnight and previous experience had taught her that late night visits never brought good tidings. 

It was Xu, looking very frazzled and towing an armload of paperwork. 

"Oh, no," said Quistis, horrified. "Which one?" 

"It's Dollet," grimaced Xu. "I wouldn't bother you but it just came through an hour ago and I'm stuck doing transport." 

"Doesn't Cid normally take care of that?" 

A fleeting, worried look crossed Xu's face. "He's not feeling well. If you could just do the squad assignments and get them back to me before you go to bed that would be a big help." 

"No problem," said Quistis. 

"Thanks so much," smiled Xu, handing her several large yellow envelopes before fleeing down the hallway. 

An hour later she was nearly finished and her eyes were smarting with fatigue. All of the squads were properly mapped out, captains assigned-- except for the very last. She had assigned Squall, Seifer Almasy, and Zell Dincht, one of Nero's students, to this squad but was having trouble deciding who to tap for the captaincy. According to Nero's report, Dincht was solid, but not leadership material. Therefore she had to decide between Seifer and Squall, and this final decision was frustrating her. 

Seifer Almasy was one of the top students at Balamb Garden. He was a first-class fighter, resourceful in a crisis, and charismatic. His understanding of tactics was excellent and his knowledge of weaponry and other military equipment was nearly encyclopaedic. But he also had a bad temper and could not be relied on when it came to following orders he didn't approve of. He'd failed the SeeD field exam four times. 

Squall Leonhart's knowledge of military matters rivaled Seifer's, but Squall, as she knew very well, was quiet to the point of surliness, did not seem to like people, and had no charisma to speak of. 

It should have been so easy. Seifer was the clear choice. But she couldn't bring herself to actually check his name in the captain's column on the form. Seifer's problem was that he couldn't get his emotions under control. 

Squall's problem was that he didn't seem to have any emotions at all. 

But Squall had attracted her, hadn't he? Didn't she think of him at odd moments during every day? Didn't every cool, gray glance make her stomach twist pleasantly? 

Squall or Seifer? 

Squall did have charisma, it just wasn't overblown the way Seifer's was. 

Would she be tipping her hand if she chose Squall? He was an unlikely choice, to be sure, but she knew he could do it. What kind of instructor was she, anyway, to let her personal feelings interfere with her work? 

She squinted at the paper on her desk and grasped the pen more securely in her fingers. 

Squall or Seifer? She was so tired. 

Squall or -- Squall. Seifer would just waste the chance again. Why shouldn't Squall get the opportunity? She made the mark hastily, not wanting to give herself time to start debating again. 

She shoved the papers into the proper envelope and left her quarters. He can do this, she thought as she headed toward the elevator. He'll be fine. And so will I.

+

_The sorceress opened her eyes. _

_Something was different. She gazed across the room, but could not detect anything out of place. _

_Something is different, she thought. _

_Her gaze slid down to the open book in her lap. _

_The headline now read, "BALAMB GARDEN CELEBRATES DEMISE OF ULTIMECIA." Her eyes widened as she took in the photograph, also new. It showed a calm-eyed young woman hoisted on the shoulders of a smiling young man. _

_Ultimecia flipped the page. More newspaper clippings, more photographs. _

_"QUISTIS TREPE, THE WOMAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD-- EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!" _

_"ESTHAR PRESIDENT LOIRE RESIGNS FROM OFFICE." _

_Ultimecia closed the scrapbook. Everything had changed. How, she wasn't sure. But if the past could be changed as she had just witnessed, surely it could be changed further. _

_She would make that scrapbook disappear. She had to; her life depended on it. _

_Quistis Trepe, she thought, and the enameled fingernail resumed its slow tapping._


	2. Dollet

* * *

**DOLLET**

* * *

_Word hard, study hard, play hard. -- Garden Precepts_

The room was dark even though it was nearly midday. The window was covered with dark cloth and the dim light that penetrated it transformed the everyday objects that were strewn about into fantastic, terrifying shapes. 

A still form lay on the bed, headless, and as silent as a corpse. 

The door opened, spilling light into the room, but still the figure on the bed lay unmoving. 

"Zell?" 

"Go away," came a muffled voice from the vicinity of the bed. 

"Why is it so dark in here? What are you doing?" 

"Suffocating myself," came the gloomy reply. "Go away." 

There was a pause. "Is that my blanket on your window?" 

"Jones, mine won't work. You _know_ it's yellow." The voice from the bed was exasperated now. "The light just comes right through." 

Jones walked to the window, stumbling over a pair of sneakers, and ripped the blanket off the window. The room was flooded suddenly with light, and the sight of his roommate lying on a bed with a pillow over his face seemed to incense him. 

"You lunatic!" he yelled. His face reddened but Zell took no notice as the pillow was still firmly mashed over his face. "I swear I've had enough! Two years of this! Spending every day wondering if you're going to-- I don't know-- eat my homework or something!" Jones sputtered to a halt. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" 

"The SeeD exam," Zell moaned. "It's today."

+

Zell's sneakers squeaked on the smooth floor of the corridor. He trudged unwillingly from the barracks toward the Directory, hating his shoes. 

Tonight he'd either be celebrating his promotion to SeeD status or deciding which courses he'd like to take for the next training session. Or dead, he reminded himself. SeeD field exams were conducted in real combat situations and cadets sometimes died. 

He hadn't told his Ma what today was-- he didn't want to get her hopes up and then not actually pass. Letting his mother down was one of his biggest fears, even though she'd never once seemed even faintly disappointed in him. 

Zell rounded the southern curve of the fountain and stopped, staring toward the Directory. Instructor Trepe was standing there, a pretty blonde woman, waiting for him. 

She saw him and gave him a small smile. The realization came that he was actually going to attempt the SeeD exam, that the moment had come which would lead inevitably to success or failure or death, that there was no turning back now that Instructor Trepe had definitely seen him standing there. 

Excitement exploded in the pit of his stomach and his weary dread vanished. He felt like a compressed spring, all potential energy. He took a few running steps and launched into a series of handsprings and flips that any acrobat would have been proud to pull off. 

He landed with a screeching squeak right in front of the instructor. She gave him another smile that told him she understood how he felt, and then he saw that Squall Leonhart was standing there too. 

"Whoa, I'm in your squad?" He extended a hand, but Squall ignored it. Everyone knew Leonhart was a bit of a cold fish. 

"Heard Seifer whooped you pretty bad this morning," he grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet and cracking his knuckles. 

"He didn't." 

"Really? That's a nice cut you've got there on your head." 

"Seifer's got one just like it," said Squall shortly, and turned away. 

"Speaking of Seifer, where is he?" said Instructor Trepe. "He should be here by now." 

"And here I am," a voice said, and he turned and saw Seifer Almasy approaching, his toadies Raijin and Fujin in tow. He did indeed have an angry red cut over the bridge of his nose, Zell saw. Seifer wasn't wearing the exam uniform, he noticed, but his own trademark calf-length trenchcoat. Zell wondered for a moment why Seifer hadn't worn the uniform, as he would be marked down for it, but then remembered that Seifer had taken the exam several times unsuccessfully. He must not care, Zell decided. 

"Good," said Instructor Trepe. "It looks like we're almost ready. Cid should be here in a moment." She looked around. Scattered across the courtyard, other small groups of instructors and cadets milled nervously. 

"Is everybody here?" called a voice from the center of the courtyard. Zell turned and saw the headmaster of Balamb Garden, Cid Kramer, looking around at everyone. "Good!" he exclaimed. 

"This particular exam will involve twelve members from squads A through D. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield, where you will be assigned an objective to complete. Nine SeeD members will accompany you. If you fail, they will get the job done. If you succeed, you will join the ranks of SeeD, the most elite military force in the world! Remember your training, and good luck!" 

Cid beamed at all of them, and around the courtyard the small groups broke up and headed toward the garage, talking and laughing loudly. 

"Well then," said Instructor Trepe. "You three are assigned to Squad B. Squall, you're the squad leader." Zell spied a look of incredulity on Seifer's face, and could not bring himself to disagree. Had there been some kind of mistake? Squall was a good fighter, but when Zell tried to imagine him giving orders that took more than a few words to explain, he couldn't do it. 

"We're taking off from the harbor at Balamb," said Instructor Trepe. "Let's get going." She turned and headed toward the garage, and they followed suit. 

Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin passed him, heads bent together in whispered conversation, and he slowed. He didn't want to chitchat with the Disciplinary Committee, preferring at all times to avoid them if possible. 

Squall was as silent as ever, and Zell's stomach was churning. He wouldn't be able to make conversation if he'd wanted to, and in any case Squall would probably just resent any attempt at small talk. 

So he walked quietly and tried not to think too much about what lay ahead. But the thought that he might die today snuck into his head again. His stomach rumbled loudly. He wished he'd told his Ma about today's exam after all. 

Zell looked around, wondering if he would ever return here again. It wasn't home, not the way his house in nearby Balamb was, but still he spent almost all of his time here. He was a student, an aspiring SeeD. He would rather have stayed at home and commuted, as he had done in earlier years, but regulations required SeeD cadets to reside in-Garden. 

He stared around and found himself admiring the smooth, curved walls of the inner court as though he had never seen them before. The splashing of the fountain that ringed the administrative column of the campus was soothing, and the light that fell from the long windows at the top of the court was gentle. 

Then they arrived at the garage, and Zell's brief moment of peace ended and left cold dread in its wake.

+

It was a perfect summer day in Balamb. Zell climbed out of the transport car and stretched in the hot sunlight, soaking up the familiar ocean breeze with its smell of salt and fish. He felt calmer at once. Glanced toward the hotel at the crest of the hill, he wished he could take ten minutes and go visit his Ma. Her house was on the other side of the hill-- he couldn't see it from the docks. 

Reluctantly, he followed the others inside the black-skinned skimmer, passing the harassed Garden Faculty member quickly-- their weird outfits made him nervous. Plus they were always confiscating his things-- he'd lost several T-boards to them already. It was infuriating; T-boards weren't cheap. 

Instructor Trepe, Zell, Squall and Seifer sat down two by two against the walls of the loading bay and waited for their briefing. No one spoke. Zell wasn't even sure where they were going-- mission details were kept secret until they were actually enroute. 

After a few minutes Cid's assistant Xu joined them. She was a slender woman with short, dark hair and a reputation for having a no-nonsense attitude. It was also said that she had a temper, but Zell had never witnessed that. She looked nice enough to him. 

She nodded at the cadets and smiled as she greeted Instructor Trepe. "Hi, Quistis." 

The Instructor smiled back. "Well, this is Squad B." 

"Nice to meet ya," Zell said. 

Squall murmured, "Pleased to meet you," and Seifer said nothing. 

"Seifer, how many times has it been now?" Xu gave him a smile, and Zell got the impression that it was not a friendly one. 

Seifer displayed a feral grin. "Oh, I just love these exams." 

"I'll explain the current situation and the mission," continued Xu, ignoring Seifer. "Be seated," she said to Zell who had stood to let her by. He flushed and dropped into his seat. 

"Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament," Xu began. "A request for SeeD was made eighteen hours ago. Dollet has been under attack by the Galbadian Army for the last seventy-two hours. Forty-nine hours into the battle, Dollet was forced to abandon their position in the inner city. Currently, they have retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops." She looked at each of them in turn to make sure they understood. 

"According to our reports, G-Army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region. We will make a landing at Lapin Beach. Our objective is to eliminate the remaining G-Army within the city and liberate it as soon as possible." 

"Sounds important!" piped Zell. 

Seifer gave him a disgusted look. "Sounds boring. So what you're saying is, we do all the dirty work, and Dollet just sits on their backsides in the mountains." He arched an eyebrow at Xu. 

"That's how this works. You know that," Xu said shortly. Her wristwatch beeped. 

"We're almost there. We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark, so be prepared. That's all. Any questions, talk to Quistis." 

Zell stood again to let her out. 

Squall stood as well. "I'm going to go see how it looks," he said. "Make sure you're ready to go when we land." He left, ignoring the sneer Seifer threw at him. 

Zell glanced at Seifer, but he wasn't paying attention. Instead he inspected his gunblade, a great black thing that looked deadly in his gloved hands. Seifer's skin was slightly flushed under his tan and Zell wondered if he'd junctioned Ifrit. Probably. He'd felt the chill when Squall had walked by him, which meant he had Shiva. 

Zell had chosen Quezacotl for the mission, but wished he hadn't. The hair on his arms kept standing up, making it look like he had goosebumps. He hoped nobody had noticed. 

Squall appeared in the doorway. 

"We'll be there in less than a minute." 

"Hang onto those handrails. This will be bumpy," said Instructor Trepe. They all followed her advice. 

Bumpy was an understatement, Zell decided. It was all he could do to hold on to the railing as the skimmer thudded its way over and through the sand, heaving its way onto the beach. 

The docking bay door slid open. He gained his balance quickly and threw himself down the loading ramp after the others. As soon as his feet hit the ground bullets sprayed into the sand in front of him in a wide arc, spattering his legs with grains of sand. He stepped back a bit, eyes darting across the beach. 

Nobody else seemed concerned about the bullets flying everywhere. Xu saluted to Instructor Trepe and moved off toward the city, ignoring the gunfire around her. He wondered if she had a protective spell. He wished he did. 

"Squad B!" Quistis shouted over the din, pointing. "You're to secure the Central Square. Move out!" 

Squall and Seifer headed toward a staircase flanked by SeeDs. Zell followed. 

The stairs led to a long cobbled street. The din of the beach fell behind quickly and Zell found he could hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears. You're okay, he told himself. The beach was probably the worst-- everything from here on out will be easy. 

He looked up at the arch spanning the street just as two Galbadian soldiers leapt down to meet them. Something like an electric shock went through his body and then the first soldier was in front of him, swinging a nasty looking sword. He ducked under the blade and delivered a solid punch to the man's throat. The soldier fell, choking, and did not move. 

When Zell looked around, he saw that Squall had dispatched the other soldier and was wiping the blood from his gunblade. Seifer had paused and was watching them both impatiently. Zell looked down at the man by his feet and was alarmed to feel a lump rising in his throat. He wondered if the soldier was dead, if he had a family. 

Stepping over the man's body, he followed Squall and Seifer down the street. It's just a job, he thought. That guy was doing his job, he knew what he was getting into, and so do I. 

They kept a fast pace, trotting carefully along the uneven cobbled street, and soon found themselves in the Central Square. Squall stopped and sized up the area. Seifer took it upon himself to circle the perimeter of the square, looking for soldiers. He flushed two out and they were dead before Squall and Zell could get across the square to help him. 

Squall checked the rest of the square and came back to them. "We're on standby until we get new orders," he said. 

"How boring," Seifer announced. 

They became aware of a distant roaring sound that grew louder and then fainter in turn, as though it was coming through a badly tuned radio. "Sounds like it's starting," said Squall. 

"Bring it on," murmured Seifer. Zell could make out sounds of battle, people screaming. He tensed, and noticed that Squall and Seifer were both alert, looking in the direction of the noise. Zell scanned the square again to make sure nothing was sneaking up on them. There was only a yellow dog, sitting near the fountain at the center of the square. 

Seifer turned suddenly toward the fighting and yelled, "Hey! Galbadian Soldiers! Come show me what you got!" 

He's an idiot, thought Zell. 

Thirty uneventful minutes later, he was seriously considering revising that opinion. The three of them stood in an alley between two shops, the whole of the empty square spread before them. Squall leaned against the cool brick wall, arms folded, staring toward the fountain. 

Zell leaned too, but he stared at the opposite wall. To his surprise, he found that his eyelids were heavy. 

"This exam is supposed to be major hard," he muttered. "But the only thing I'm battling is sleep." 

Seifer snorted next to him. 

"Quiet," said Squall. Zell looked at him in surprise and saw that Squall was no longer leaning. Now he stood pressed against the building, looking carefully around the corner. 

Zell crouched and peered around Squall's leg. Six Galbadian soldiers were moving furtively into the square from an adjacent alley. The leading soldier waited until his comrades were all in the square, then gestured. Together, they took the north exit of the square. 

"What are they doing?" wondered Zell. 

"The battle's behind them. Where are they going?" Squall said. 

"Our next destination," said Seifer. 

Squall stared at him. "It's against orders," he said, but Zell could tell from the glint in his eye that he was seriously considering it. 

"Look," said Zell. "This is an exam, we have to stay here, we'll all flunk. This is easy, let's not look a gift horse in the mouth." 

Seifer's eyes remained fixed on Squall, but he asked, "Weren't you just saying how bored you were?" 

"Squall!" Zell exclaimed in frustration. 

But Squall wasn't paying attention, gray eyes fixed on the square's north exit. Seifer clapped a hand on Squall's shoulder and said, "You want to wreak some havoc, too, don't you?" 

Squall shrugged him off and scowled. "It will be a good opportunity to test out my training." He paused. "Thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone. Even if they do fight dirty like you." 

Seifer looked smug. "You'll thank me when the time comes." 

Zell stared at them. 

"What the hell?" he said. "I thought you guys didn't get along. You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen," he said. "This isn't a normal battle. We aren't from Dollet, we have no-no investment or whatever. It's an exam, an important one. I'm telling you we have to stick to orders." 

"Then you stay here," Seifer shrugged. "We don't need any boy scouts." 

Zell felt his fists clench. "What was that?" 

Squall threw him a look. "Don't take him seriously, Zell." His eyes flicked back to the north exit. "We're supposed to mop up any G-Army troops in the city. So let's get to it." He moved off toward the exit, Seifer right behind him. 

"Tch. Fine." But the others were already gone, and he spoke only to himself.

+

They had hardly left the square behind then when they came to a long stone bridge. Before them, the ground fell away rapidly and a river churned far below. The land on the other side of the river was a tall green and gray hill. Squinting against the sun, Zell could see a tower-like structure at the top. 

They crossed the bridge, the warm sun mild on their heads, and at the end of the bridge they set their feet on the first of many wide stone steps that climbed the hill. These were long, shallow blocks of stone that were cracked and overgrown with vines and other foliage. 

Zell resolved to watch his feet carefully as he climbed, but the tower above them drew his eye again after a dozen steps. 

"What do you think's up there?" he said. 

Squall said nothing, but after a moment Seifer said, "It must be the Dollet Communication Tower." 

Zell continued to look puzzled and Seifer elaborated. "It was a radio tower, back in the days when there was no interference signal. Around the time Sorceress Adel fell from power in Esthar the signal was introduced, and all the radio towers became defunct. This was the biggest, though, I think." 

They continued their trek up the stairs and reached the summit without encountering anything. The Communication Tower was nestled in a depression at the top of the hill; they found themselves on a slight rise above it looking down on the entrance. From the side a path led down to the front doors, where two Galbadian soldiers stood guard on either side. 

As they watched, the wide doors opened and third Galbadian soldier appeared and spoke to the other soldiers. Zell strained to make out their words. 

"The generator's up and running. No problem with the boosters," announced the new arrival. 

"What the hell are they doing?" muttered Seifer. 

"Cable disconnection confirmed. Beginning exchange process." 

"Roger," said one of the guards, and all three disappeared into the depths of the tower. 

"Repairs?" said Squall. 

"Who cares?" said Seifer. Then to Squall, "This must be your first real battle. Scared?" He gave the other young man an odd glittering look. 

"I don't know," said Squall. "I wasn't thinking about it." 

Seifer spoke but he was watching the Communication Tower. "I love battles. I fear nothing. The way I look at it, as long as you make it out of battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream." 

Squall looked suspicious. "What? Your dream?" 

Seifer gave him a snide smile. "You have one too, don't you?" 

Squall shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm going to pass on that subject." 

My dream is for them to shut up already so we can get on with it, thought Zell. 

"We're wasting time," he said. 

The other cadets looked at him. 

"Then let's go," said Squall. 

They followed a crumbling, rocky path down the east side of the cliff and found themselves before the bronze double doors of the Communication Tower. 

"Ready?" asked Squall, and at their nods, pushed the door open. 

They stepped inside, weapons at the ready, and startled four Galbadian soldiers standing at ease by a lift. 

"Hey! Who the hell are--" began the first soldier, but stopped as Squall and Seifer strode toward him. Zell slid the wall, covering them. 

The soldiers backed up against the central column of the tower and looked sideways at each other. 

"Break!" barked the leader, and the four soldiers scattered, darting around and between the SeeD cadets and out the door. 

Zell looked after them in surprise. 

"Cowards," snorted Seifer. 

Squall turned his gunblade, watching the play of light on the blade's edge. "We'll take the lift-- see who's at the top." 

They tropped onto the lift. Squall stabbed the topmost button with a finger and Zell's stomach plummeted as the lift rose swiftly up the massive center column of the tower. 

Near the top of the tower, the lift slowed and stopped. They stepped out Zell only had time to notice the red uniform of Galbadian officers before tremors shook the tower. 

He crouched on the grating, gripping it with his fingers, and looked around. There was a loud humming sound, and lights were blinking through his fingers from below. Looking more closely, he saw that the center column of the tower was lit with many small green and red lights. 

There was a more violent tremor, and Zell renewed his grasp on the grating. Then there was a loud rushing sound, and something shot past him very fast from below. Looking up, he watched whatever it was reach the top of the tower, where it unfolded like a flower and settled itself into a satellite dish. It began to emit a great beam of light, and finally, the tower seemed to reach stasis. 

Is that thing broadcasting? I thought there was an interference signal, thought Zell. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Squall said, and Zell's head whipped around. The Galbadian officer he had seen a few moments ago stared at them in surprise and dismay. 

"I'd like to ask you the same thing," he said, eyeing them. "What happened to my troops down below?" 

Seifer smirked. 

Angrily, the officer called out, "Wedge! Take care of these twerps!" 

Zell looked around, but no Wedge appeared to deliver them to their doom. 

"Wedge?" 

Zell rocked on his heels, hands clasped behind his back. Squall took the opportunity to examine his gunblade, and Seifer's smirk had turned into that feral grin. 

As Wedge's absence finally dawned on him, the officer hefted his machine gun and edged toward the lift. "I, ah, seem to be done here, so I'll just be on my-- move it! Move! Move! Move!" 

He brandished his machine gun at them, sidling steadily toward the elevator shaft. Just as he reached it, the lift rose up to their level carrying another SeeD candidate. She was short and skinny, and her brown hair flipped out dramatically. Zell didn't recognize her. 

"Hey, now!" she said, a cheerful smile upon her face, and began to twirl her nunchaku. "Where do you think you're going?" 

Realizing there was no escape, the officer raised his machine gun. 

"Come and get it," he shouted, and let loose a wild spray of bullets. Something stung Zell's cheek and he clapped a hand there. I just got shot in the face, he thought. Not cool. There didn't seem to be any damage, but even so the hair on his arms was standing, and this time he knew he couldn't blame Quezacotl. 

Before he could do anything in retaliation though, another officer appeared from around the main column and scurried over to the first officer. 

"Major Biggs," he panted. "Have you finished the repairs, sir? What are _these_ doing here?" 

Biggs glared at his companion. "Where the hell were you, Wedge? These SeeDs almost skewered me while you were off goofing around." 

"We did not!" called the girl indignantly, and she advanced menacingly off the lift. 

"Should've stayed home," muttered Wedge. He raised his gun and aimed at Squall. 

But before he could shoot, Seifer's gunblade tracked crimson down his arm and he dropped the gun, clutching at the wound. 

"Hey, Squad B!" shouted the girl. Squall, Seifer and Zell all looked around at her. She was hopping up and down impatiently. "Never mind these guys, you have new orders! I'm Selphie, and I'm supposed to tell you that everyone's got to be on the breach at 1900 hours!" 

"We're withdrawing?" said Seifer. "But there are still enemies around!" 

"I know," she said. "But I'm just a messenger." 

"An order to withdraw takes priority," Squall said. "How long do we have?" 

"We've only got fifteen minutes," Seifer grimaced, staring at his watch. 

"Come on," said Squall, his eyes on Biggs and Wedge, who just stood and watched them. He gestured behind him, his gunblade at the ready, and the four SeeD candidates piled onto the lift, Squall last. Selphie hit the button for the ground floor and before it even stopped they had all leapt off and were dashing for the door. 

They threw the doors open hurriedly and raced into the sunlight. But as they started up the rocky path to the stairs they head a tremendous crash behind them. Squall whipped around, raising his gunblade. 

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Zell. Just outside the doors of the Communication Tower squatted what looked like an enormous mechanical spider, its bronze legs ending in cruel pincers. 

"X-ATM092," said Squall and Seifer simultaneously. 

"Not good," continued Squall. "They're really tough to kill, and once they have a target they never stop chasing it." 

"And we're the target?" asked Selphie. 

Squall didn't answer her. "We have to disable it somehow." 

The solution came to Zell and he murmured, "Quezacotl." 

Almost immediately he lost consciousness, and when the world snapped back into focus the X-ATM092 had collapsed on its legs, blinking. 

"Let's get the hell out of here," suggested Zell, skin still prickling with the residue of Quezacotl's attack. 

Halfway up the path to the stairs they heard the first clanking sounds of pursuit. It repaired itself, Zell thought, and put on an extra burst of speed. 

They ran as fast as they could, but it still caught them before they reached the stairs. Zell cursed and called Quezacotl again, and again the spider monster fell. 

They ran. 

It caught them three more times as they attempted to reach the beach-- once on the stairs, once in the square, and once in the cobbled street that led to the beach; each encounter wasted precious minutes, and after the last, Zell knew Quezacotl was too tired to come again. 

Finally they stumbled down the short staircase leading to the beach, and the whirring of the X-ATM092 repairing itself once more behind them sounded ominously in their ears. 

Zell sprinted across the sand toward the skimmer, and for the first time he appreciated the long miles Garden made them run in training. He climbed in the cargo bay right behind Seifer and collapsed on the floor, panting. 

"Squall," said Seifer tensely. "Look at Squall." 

He looked up the beach and saw Selphie standing just outside the skimmer, perfectly safe. She gazed up the beach as well, and Zell's heart leapt into his mouth as he realized that Squall had fallen onto the soft sand. 

Zell watched as the metal spider crouched on the platform above the beach, looking for its target, watched as Squall picked himself up off the sand and began to sprint toward them. 

The monster launched itself after him, and Zell saw Selphie cover her mouth in horror. 

"He's not gonna make it!" she said, her voice muffled by her hand. 

The monster grew closer and closer to Squall and Zell thought for sure that it would pounce on him and crush him at any moment. A vision the metal spider impaling his squad leader with one spiked leg crossed his mind, and he dragged himself off the floor of the loading bay quickly. 

Just then, they heard the sound of the skimmer powering up, and Selphie, still looking over her shoulder, climbed into the cargo bay. 

"Run, Squall!" she screamed. 

Squall was less than ten feet away from the cargo bay now and gaining, the monster right on his heels. 

It's gonna crash right into us, Zell thought as the skimmer began to pull away from the beach. "Squall!" he yelled, extending his hand. 

Squall leapt, and Zell caught him as the sound of bullets punching into the metal armor of the monster reached his ears. It collapsed, and as the cargo bay doors slid shut he saw it explode. 

"Holy shit," he said as he helped Squall stand.

+

"So basically, G-Army agreed to withdraw as long as the Communication Tower was kept operational and running. Weird, right?" Raijin finished. 

Seifer tossed his fork down on the cafeteria table and leaned back in his chair. 

"So Galbadia was just after the Communication Tower," he mused. "We would have been heroes if not for that withdraw order." 

Raijin and Fujin nodded in agreement. 

"I wonder what they want with it though," he said. "Everybody knows about the interference signal." 

"Does sound fishy," Raijin agreed. 

"But they won't be able to use it, so who cares?" Seifer concluded. 

Raijin shrugged. "Not me. Hey, didja hear? Squall got reamed for leaving the designated area. There's no way he'll pass." 

"That's too bad," said Seifer, giving his posse a dirty smile. 

Fujin scowled and nudged his leg with her boot. 

"You?" she demanded. 

He shrugged. "I thought it went better than the others, but you know these clowns. They'll probably decide they didn't like the way I shaved this morning and flunk me." 

"Squall," she said darkly, and Seifer had to agree. If he flunked, it would be entirely Squall's fault. But he knew that Squall, as captain, would have to take all the responsibility for leaving the square. If the grading was anything like fair, he wouldn't have to worry about that. 

The intercom chimed. _"All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the second floor hallway. I repeat. All students who participated in today's field exam, report to the second floor hallway." _

He let his chair legs hit the floor with a thud, and stood. "Well, I guess we'll see. Catch you later." 

Fujin stood too. "Coming," she announced. 

"Yeah," said Raijin. "If you don't pass I wanna be there to kick Squall's ass."

+

The second floor hallway was much more crowded than usual after an exam. It had been a big class to begin with, and most candidates seemed to have friends with them. 

He leaned against the wall, Raijin and Fujin on either side. He didn't see Leonhart anywhere, which surprised him. Sure, he probably already knew that he'd flunked the exam, but it wasn't like him not to at least show up. Of course, as far as Seifer knew, Squall had never failed at anything in his life and maybe he didn't know how to deal with it. The thought made him smile. 

They waited, and he suppressed a surge of annoyance. He'd been here more than once, waiting in this hallway for the results of the field exam. Each time the administration had let the them cool their heels long enough before announcing the results for everyone to get edgy. It annoyed him. 

Finally, one of the Garden Master's representatives stalked from the elevator to stand in the junction between the two hallways. 

"Zell Dincht," he announced. 

"Nida Faircloth. Selphie Tilmitt. Seifer Almasy." Seifer fought down a surge of surprise. "That is all," said the Garden Faculty member. "SeeDs, report to the headmaster's office. Dismissed." 

Raijin clapped a huge hand on his shoulder and shook him, grinning like a maniac. 

"Way to go, boss!" 

Seifer blinked, still more surprised than he cared to admit, and finally when Fujin gave him her own small rare smile, he was able to return it. 

"Never had any doubt," he lied, grinning. "I'll see you guys tomorrow; tonight's going to be busy." 

They nodded, looking pleased, and he gathered at the elevator with the other new SeeDs. The Garden Faculty member who'd announced the results escorted them up to Cid's office and entered without knocking. 

"Here are the four students who passed today's exam," he said. They lined up in front of Cid's desk and saluted. 

The Headmaster stood and smiled at them. 

"First of all, congratulations. As a member of SeeD you will be dispatched all over the world. As you know, SeeD soldiers are combat specialists. But, that is only one aspect of SeeD. When the time comes--" But before he could continue the Garden Faculty member interrupted, and Headmaster Kramer's smile faltered. 

"Headmaster. It's almost time for the meeting. Please make this short." The faculty member turned toward the new SeeDs. "SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependant on each one of you. Handle your missions with care." He turned toward the Headmaster. "Is that what you wanted to say, sir?" 

Seifer stared. If he were Headmaster, he wouldn't have allowed that sort of insubordination. The Garden Faculty had given him the position leading the Disciplinary Committee, but he didn't like them much. And what had Cid been talking about when he'd said, 'when the time comes'? 

"Your grade reports," said the faculty member, gesturing at Cid. 

Cid walked to Selphie and whispered a few words in her ear as he handed her a piece of paper. He made his way through the short line as they stood at attention, saying a few words to each new SeeD. 

To Seifer, who was the last in the line, he whispered, "Finally. A gunblade specialist." 

"This ends the SeeD inauguration," announced the Garden Faculty member. "Dismissed!" 

They saluted once more, and Seifer gave the Garden Master's representative one last thoughtful look before he left and went to his quarters. 

He took a very hot shower, washing his hair and removing the sweat and dirt from the day's trials from his body. The inauguration ball would start soon and his fastidious side rebelled at the thought of putting a brand new uniform on over dirt. 

Seifer looked forward to getting private quarters. As he walked down the hall back to his room, he supposed that the bathrooms would still be communal. Just as long as I don't have to deal with a roommate, he thought. And high rank SeeDs get suites. I'll have to get on those online tests. 

He opened the unlocked door to the common room he shared with his roommate and glared at the girl leaning against the wall by his open door. 

"What do you want?" he said shortly, toweling his hair. "And don't you know how to knock?" 

"Hey," Selphie protested. "Your roommate let me in. Anyway, check this out!" She whirled in place, showing off her new SeeD uniform. 

He frowned at her. 

"Sheesh! All right already. You're supposed to change into your SeeD uniform and go down the ballroom. I was sent to tell you. Now hurry up!" She hopped up and down in place. 

Seifer entered his room and locked the door behind him-- he didn't trust her not to barge in while he was changing. 

He tossed his towels on the floor and dressed, noting irritably that the uniform was stiff and scratchy. 

When he was ready, he unbolted his door and found Selphie waiting for him. 

"Still here?" he said. 

"Wow, not bad! You look pretty good!" If he hadn't been so annoyed he would have smirked at her wide-eyed expression. 

"Let's hit that PARRR-TAY!" Selphie exclaimed, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door.

+

He didn't manage to get rid of her until they were actually inside the ballroom. She'd chattered about the Garden Festival the entire way-- he'd spent the time trying to tune her out. He found it incredible that she managed to be so obnoxious and wondered if she did it on purpose to set people off their guard. 

Fortunately, as soon as they walked in the room she let go of him and tore off after Zell Dincht. Seifer could hear her warbling about the Garden Festival ten feet away. 

He grimaced and headed toward a deserted pillar, snagging a drink off a waitress's tray. 

Leaning against the pillar, he watched his formally clad classmates dance their way across the marble floor. He looked at his drink. Champagne. 

This was not what he thought of as a party. Not that he attended them frequently-- almost all of that had been last summer in Deling City. But the contrast was sharp-- this champagne was neither beer not hard liquor, the sweet sounds of the orchestra were definitely far removed from the wild rock concerts held in Deling City's Central Park, and the shining ballroom was not at all like any of the smoky bars they had frequented. 

Thinking of Deling City made his mind turn inevitably to Rinoa Heartilly. 

Rinoa was the daughter of G-Army's General Caraway, and a spoiled brat. Gorgeous, rich, and wanting out from under the yoke of her father. She had dragged Seifer to numerous concerts and wild parties over the summer in an attempt to infuriate her father. Seifer hadn't minded; he had been bored in Deling City and they had filled the time. 

He took a sip of champagne, looking out over the crowd, and noticed that the girl in the yellow dress watching the sky through the glass ceiling looked a lot like her. 

Must have Rinoa on the brain, he thought, and watched the girl. 

She turned toward him and her eyes lit up as she spotted him. He realized that it actually was Rinoa, and nodded to her, wondering what in the world she was doing here. 

She weaved her way through the dancers toward him. 

"Hello, Rinoa," he said, and gave her his best devil's grin. 

"Hey yourself," she laughed. "Heard you passed the exam-- how does it feel to be a SeeD?" 

He glanced down at the glass in his hand. "The champagne sucks." 

Rinoa laughed and clapped her hands. "It's good to see you, Seifer. And now you have to dance with me." 

Seifer shrugged and took her hand as the next waltz started. He led her to the middle of the floor and as they began the first steps of the dance, asked her why she was at Garden. 

"Actually, I came to see you," she said, eyes glittering with mischief. 

Seifer arched an eyebrow and smiled at her. "That so?" 

She giggled and he spun her around. "Well, I kind of need to speak to Cid Kramer," she admitted. "I thought maybe you could introduce me to him, since we're friends." 

Seifer smiled, finding himself strangely relieved that she hadn't come because of him. Rinoa was sometimes fun to be with, but he didn't really relish the idea of being used further as a weapon in her battle with her father. 

"I would be delighted to," he said, and when their dance was finished he did exactly that.

+

Seifer left the party not long after he introduced Rinoa and Cid. The one glass of champagne he had drunk had inflamed the mild headache he'd sported since Dollet. His head pounded. 

He let himself in to his new quarters and shut the door, glad that SeeDs got private rooms-- he didn't really feel like being around anyone else at the moment. 

He kicked off his dress shoes and made a beeline to Hyperion's case. If the people who had moved his stuff had even marred the polish on his gunblade there would be hell to pay. 

But Hyperion was fine, and he made a cursory check on the rest of his possessions before stripping off the dress uniform and hanging it up. 

He sat on his bed, clad only in his shorts, and stared off into space. 

It had been a long day. He knew that he would be ecstatic tomorrow at having made SeeD, but for now he was just too tired to think about it. 

Too tired and far too wound up. His mind was restless and couldn't seem to concentrate on any one subject. And he felt twitchy, could feel his body wanting to fidget. 

Seifer thought about taking another hot shower but then there was a knock on the door and he had to decide whether he wanted to answer it. For some reason, he was immediately convinced that it was Squall, wanting to have it out. Maybe a fight was what he needed to calm down. 

He plucked Hyperion from her case and opened the door. 

But it wasn't Squall-- it was Rinoa, and she raised her eyebrows at the naked blade in his hand. 

He blinked and waved at her to come in. He followed her in and strapped Hyperion back in her case before sitting back down on the bed. 

"So did you get what you wanted from Cid?" he asked. 

Her eyes sparkled. "Yes. I just wanted to thank you for that." 

"No problem," he said, and then frowned. "What did you ask him, anyway?" 

"I'm part of a resistance faction in Timber. We're trying to free Timber from Galbadian rule," she said, sitting down at his desk. She frowned and examined her shoes. "It's kind of a mess. There are soldiers everywhere, taxes are sky high, trade's practically non-existent. The economy is falling apart and Galbadia doesn't care enough to do anything. Nobody really knows why they bothered to take Timber in the first place." 

Was it cynical to wonder if this was just another personal battle between father and daughter? 

Her gaze had moved from her shoes to his face, and something of his thoughts must have shown there, for she said, "This isn't about that man. Seifer, these people are suffering and they have been for years. They want to be free, and I can't just sit back and watch. I have to help them if I can." 

She sighed. "I don't have access to his funds any more. I took what I could, but we're still scrimping. We need SeeD, and we can't pay very much. That's why I had to talk to Cid." She smiled. "He's such a nice man-- he agreed straight away to help us as soon as I explained our situation." 

She peered at her hands. "That's why I wanted to thank you. And," she paused, "I want to congratulate you. For passing your exam." 

They looked at each other for a moment. She uncrossed her legs, stood, and walked over to him. Then she bent and placed her hands on his bare shoulders, her dark hair falling over her shoulder to brush his face. He froze, and she breathed into his ear, "Thank you, Seifer." 

Rinoa's hands trailed down his neck, his chest. 

He caught her wrists in his hands. "Rinoa, don't," he said wearily, amazed that she would even want to touch him after the unpleasant way things had ended last summer. 

"Just don't." He released her wrists, but she did not leave. Instead she stooped again and pressed her lips softly to his cheek. Her perfume was sweet, and he was suddenly annoyed with her. 

"Go home, Rinoa." He glared at her, but she only smiled. 

"Sleep well, Seifer." 

She left, closing the door behind her, and Seifer got up and locked the door at once. He returned to his bed, still irritated with her, and lay down. 

Seifer closed his eyes, exhausted. Through the open window the singing of crickets sounded, and faint laughter from the ballroom wafted in with the mild breeze. 

He slept.

+

Quistis knocked on the door and tilted her head, listening for the sounds of footsteps inside. 

After a few moments it opened and she was presented with a bare-chested Squall Leonhart carrying a gunblade. 

She raised her eyebrows. "Who were you expecting?" 

He frowned at her and she noticed that his hair was sticking up far more than usual. It was funny, and she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. 

He didn't speak, just stood and watched her laughing at him. Finally she was done and smiled at him, bemused. 

"What do you want?" he said, and she snapped back to herself, knowing that she would blush in a moment. 

"I've come to give you an order," she said. "You and I are to go to the Secret Area. It's where students secretly meet up and talk after curfew," she explained, certain that he had never been there in his life. 

"What do you want to do there?" he said, suspicion coloring his voice. "Are we going there to tell everyone they're violating curfew? If that's the case, forget it." 

She laughed. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you here." 

He stood there for a few moments more, frowning, and then closed the door. 

She crossed her arms and waited. She probably shouldn't have come here, but she didn't care much at the moment. And she really needed to talk to someone, and she was hoping that he needed to talk too. That thought had spurred her out of her quarters, even though it was the last night she would be enjoying them. 

After a few moments he joined her in the hall, looking baleful, and she wanted to laugh again. She led the way to the Training Centre and did not speak. She was used to his silence, and she had nothing to say until they arrived. 

Finally they were there, and she stretched in the humid warmth of the training center, at home under the fluorescent lights. 

"This way," she said, and headed toward the farthest pathway of the Training Centre. 

The monsters in the Centre seemed to be sleeping, and they met nothing on their way to the farthest reaches of the jungle-like arena. 

After a few minutes they ducked under the low door to the Secret Area, pausing while their eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. Several couples occupied space along the long stone balcony, talking in muted voices, and Quistis avoided them as she found a good place to lean on the balcony. Garden's main complex was clearly visible from this vantage point, lit up beautifully under the dark night sky. She sighed, sensing the romance of this place, and imagined for a moment that she and Squall were there as lovers, not as teacher and student. 

She glanced over at him. He looked deep in thought, staring over the balcony not at the glorious vision of B-Garden, but at the ground. 

"I haven't been here for a while," she said. "What time is it?" 

Squall sighed and checked his watch. "It's after midnight." 

"Oh well," she sighed, and turned to him. "I, Quistis Trepe, and no longer an instructor as of now." 

Squall shifted beside her but did not speak. 

She waited for a few moments. But still he said nothing, so she continued. "They told me that I failed as an instructor. Basically, that I lacked leadership qualities." She leaned against the balcony railing, watching him. He did not look at her. "I was a SeeD at fifteen, got my instructor's license at seventeen. It's only been a year. I wonder where I went wrong-- I did my best." He was frowning. "Squall?" 

He turned to her. "Why do you care?" he demanded. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Why do you care what they think?" 

"Of course I care," Quistis responded, surprised. "I've lived here as long as I can remember. I don't have a family, I'm an orphan-- this is my home. Garden is my family." 

Squall looked at her like she was mad. "Weren't you listening to what the Garden Faculty member said this afternoon?" 

"Of course I was." She blushed, remembering that Squall had received one of harshest reprimands she had ever heard. How stupid of her, blathering on about her own problems while Squall was probably upset about not passing the field exam. "I'm sorry," she began. "I shouldn't have--" 

He interrupted her with an annoyed gesture. "That's not what I'm talking about. Did you hear what he said? 'SeeD shall not act beyond the exact wording of a contract. We are not a non-profit organization. This incident will be a hard-learned lesson for the Dollet Dukedom. They'll now know to be more generous when hiring SeeD.'" 

He stared at her, and his gaze was so bitter she almost flinched. "You're not stupid, Quistis. Think about it. Garden cares about money-- not about you. You said you're an orphan. Well, I'm an orphan too. You aren't the only one who's lived here as long as they can remember. And I can only think or three or four students who actually have parents. 

"Put it together. Garden adopts children orphaned by past wars. It raises them to be elite soldiers and sends them to make more war." His voice became soft, almost a hiss. 

"It's a self-perpetuating machine," he said bluntly. "It's simple, brilliant, and it works. And we're grateful for that. Grateful to have a home, to not be living in the streets. Instead we're killing in the streets, killing for causes we don't even care about. Why do you think they flunked me? What I did was in Dollet's best interest and everyone knows it. Now Galbadia has that Communication Tower, which is what it wanted, and I'll bet you Garden is counting on them stirring up more trouble. Garden trains us to follow orders exactly, and then it gives orders that will lead to more war." He paused for breath, still staring at her. "And the money's rolling in. SeeD works for the highest bidder, doesn't it?" 

She stared at him in shock; she'd never heard him talk so much, and what he was saying… "But surely," she began, and he cut her off again. 

"No buts. You know I'm right." His voice was sharp, brutal. "No one here cares about you. Accept it-- there's no point in grieving over something that doesn't care about you, never has, and never will." 

"But you--" she began, hating the tremor in her voice, and he gave her such a disgusted look she did flinch. 

"Don't assume you know anything about me. I was thinking out loud-- it had nothing to do with you." 

She stood there with her mouth open, and by the time she thought of something to say, he was gone. 


	3. Timber

* * *

**TIMBER**

* * *

_"I WILL NEVER LET YOU FORGET ABOUT ME I AM ALIVE HERE BRING ME BACK THERE..." _-- Adel's broadcast

Squall Leonhart's rise from slumber the morning after the SeeD exam was slow and unpleasant. He returned from the agreeable oblivion of sleep reluctantly, some part of him knowing he didn't want to face reality just yet. 

Not that his dreams had been particularly enjoyable, but in this case at least he preferred the fantasy horror shows his mind made up in his sleep to the undeniable knowledge that he had spent most of his life so far pursuing a goal that was utterly without worth. 

The last dream lingered and he tried to remember it so he could avoid rational thought for a few more moments. He'd been fighting, leading an army. At first he had struggled mightily to keep his men from being annihilated, but as the battle progressed, he'd realized that somehow he was fighting on the wrong side-- and then he couldn't call his men back. He'd watched helplessly as his own army swarmed over the entire world, destroying everything. 

Squall rubbed his eyes and sat up. He winced as sharp pain shot through his head and left a dull pounding in its wake. 

This was the real nightmare. Garden held him in contempt, but unlike Quistis, he returned the feeling with interest. Unlike Quistis, he had neither expected nor hoped that Garden might assume the role of family in lieu of the real thing. All he had thought about was the fight, his training, and had assumed that they fought for worthy purposes. He had never imagined that pale gleaming hallways and lofty ceilings could harbor such indifference and greed. 

He knew now, for better or worse, that they did. Perhaps if he had passed the SeeD exam he never would have noticed. He would have fought his whole life, perhaps even given his life, to an institution that cared only for money. 

Looking at the clock, he saw that he was supposed to be in class. 

Sudden rage took him. Anger at the wasted years, at Garden, and at himself for not seeing through the lies sooner swept through him. When he wrestled it down at last, he found himself on his feet, his hands clenched into fists. 

He would never attend class again. 

Squall dressed, snatched up his gunblade, and strode from his room without a backward glance. 

He broke into a loping run once in the corridor, the desire to leave as soon as possible burning inside him. But when he reached the Directory, he stopped, knowing that it would be foolish to just run madly from the place with no means of supporting himself. 

His eyes found the elevator. 

When Squall knocked on the headmaster's door, a voice immediately granted him permission to enter. He stepped inside and saluted. 

"Sir," he said. 

Cid Kramer waved a hand at him. "At ease. How can I help you, Squall?" 

"I'm leaving." 

Dismay blossomed on the headmaster's face. "Squall, I know how you're feeling right now, but surely you should take some more time to think about this." 

"I've thought enough. I'm leaving." 

"I know you were reprimanded quite severely, but you must understand we have to follow our contracts to the letter." 

"This isn't about the SeeD exam, sir." 

The headmaster gazed at him. "I'd hate to lose you at a time like this," he said. "Garden has its own destiny, you know." 

"I'm aware of the destiny of Garden," said Squall. "The destiny of Garden is to make money. Sir." And again he saluted. 

Kramer flinched. 

"I hate to let you go, thinking that way." He reached into his desk drawer and drew out a form. "But you're probably right," he muttered to himself, so quietly that Squall could barely make out his words. 

Squall blinked. Headmaster Kramer was widely known as a kindhearted but not particularly competent administrator. Perhaps he knew more than everyone else assumed he did. Maybe the Headmaster was trying to change the Garden, but try as he might, Squall could not bring himself to have faith in the man, not after witnessing the way that the Garden Faculty had manipulated him the day before. How could the man change anything when others dictated his very words? 

Kramer scribbled on the form in a few places and turned it toward Squall after marking where he was to sign. Orphaned cadets were official wards of Garden, and stringent laws applied to at least the financing of their care. Orphans who emancipated themselves were entitled to that financing in Garden's stead. 

"You realize that since you turn eighteen soon the amount will not be substantial?" 

"I don't expect much," he said as he signed the form, and Kramer looked uncomfortable. 

The headmaster reached into another drawer and counted out gil. He stood, red-faced, small sheathe of Gil notes clutched in one hand, and then delved into his trouser pockets with the other. It came up with another wad of notes, and he held the whole mess out to Squall, looking embarrassed. 

"Take it," he said. "You'll need it, and I want you to know that some of us here don't care about money." 

Squall stood for a moment and looked at the older man. Then he accepted the headmaster's gift, smoothing out the bills before depositing them in his own pocket. "Maybe you don't, but you aren't in charge." 

Headmaster Kramer sat heavily in his leather chair. "I founded Garden. You'd think that I would, but you're right. Garden hasn't become what we wanted it to be, and now I can't fix it, not alone." 

Squall shifted, wanting badly to leave. The headmaster noticed and smiled at him. "Go on, now. I know you don't want to stand here listening to the ramblings of an old man. Go somewhere else and make a new life." 

Squall nodded. "Good luck, headmaster," he said, and walked out. 

Soon after that he was walking the winding road to Balamb in bright morning sunshine, gunblade hoisted on his shoulder. There was a train station at Balamb that ran to Timber. And from Timber he could go anywhere.

+

Quistis toyed with her salad in the sunny cafeteria, not particularly hungry. This was her first day on standby as a SeeD in over a year. A mission could come at any time; until then she was on restricted leave. 

She didn't know what to do with herself. No classes to teach, no papers to grade, and not even a mission to take her mind off things. 

Like lunch, and how she ate alone at a table far removed from that of her former peers. When she had been an instructor she had eaten with her colleagues, and occasionally with Xu or Doctor Kadowaki. Now, she couldn't bring herself to go and sit with them, even though she knew they would welcome her. By now they would all know of her failure and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle that humiliation, however kind she was sure they would be. 

She sipped her milk and noticed her fan club watching her from a few tables away. Grimacing inwardly, she set her glass back on the table. The Trepies had amused her once, but now she was ashamed; of them and for them. She hoped they wouldn't try to come and sit with her. 

Her mind turned once again to Squall, another uncomfortable topic. She felt responsible for his situation, even though his own actions had caused him to fail the exam. She deserved the harsh words he had given her the night before, however impersonal they had been. 

"Quistis?" 

She jumped in her chair and looked up into bright blue eyes. 

Zell Dincht. Portions of Nero's file on him flashed through her mind as she gave him a weak smile. 

He grinned and plopped down in the chair across from her, settling a slick looking T-board across his knees. 

"Heya. The headmaster sent me to tell you we've been assigned a mission. We're supposed to meet by the front gate at 1300 hours." 

Quistis glanced at her watch. 

"We'd better hurry then," she said, pushing her tray away from her. 

Zell looked at her untouched hotdog in dismay. "Aren't you going to eat that?" he asked, fidgeting. 

"Not hungry," she said. The look of indignation on his face nearly made her smile. "You want?" 

"Hell yes!" he said, and snatched up the hotdog with no further prompting. He ate it in two bites. 

They strolled out of the cafeteria, turning south along the curved corridor toward the front gate. 

She noticed Zell giving her a sidelong look. 

"What is it, Zell?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to know. 

"Ah," he said. "I heard you're not an instructor any more." 

"Would I be going on missions if I was an instructor?" she said, more sharply than she intended to. 

"No, I guess not," he said, looking abashed. They walked the rest of the way to the front gate in uncomfortable silence. 

Waiting for them there were Cid, two Garden Faculty members, Selphie Tilmitt, and Seifer Almasy. 

"Made it!" exclaimed Zell, grinning. 

One of the Garden Faculty members looked at him. "T-boards are prohibited within Garden. Have you forgotten?" 

"Oops," said Zell. "But I wasn't riding it. And it's really cool-- may come in handy on a SeeD mission someday." He smiled hopefully. 

"We'll be the judges of that," the Garden Faculty member said. "Confiscate it," he told his colleague, who took it from a disappointed Zell and stalked away. Zell looked after him, face red, and Quistis noticed Seifer smirking. She felt a sudden rush of dislike for him. 

The remaining Garden Faculty member turned toward the group of SeeDs. "All of you are members of SeeD, but nevertheless you are still students at this Garden," he said. "Furthermore, because you are SeeDs, you must set an example to all others. Understood?" 

They nodded. 

Cid spoke up, erasing the reprimand from their minds. "Well, about your first mission. You are to go to Timber where you will support a resistance faction." Quistis spied a strange expression on Seifer's face, but could not make heads or tails of it. "A member of the faction will contact you at the Timber Station." 

"This person will talk to you and say, 'the forests of Timber sure have changed.' At this time you must reply, 'but the owls are still around.' That is the password," continued the Garden Faculty member. 

"Just follow the faction's orders," added Cid. 

"Uh, just us four?" asked Zell. 

"Correct. We agreed to do this mission for very little money," said the Garden Faculty member. "Normally, we would never accept such requests, but-" 

Cid interrupted him, his voice sharper than Quistis had ever heard it. "Enough talk about that." She thought of Squall, and knew what he would have thought of this conversation. For the first time it occurred to her that there was some truth in what Squall had said. 

"Well then, Quistis, you are the squad leader," Cid continued, in a more normal tone of voice. "Zell, Selphie, Seifer," he nodded to each of the other SeeDs, "you are to support Quistis and give your all to carry out the faction's plans." 

With that, the meeting seemed to be over. Quistis turned toward the headmaster to ask him what the special circumstances leading to this mission had been, but he smiled at her and spoke before she could pose her question. "Quistis. I want you to have this." He pressed a small brass lamp into her hands. "It's cursed, but it may come in handy." Leaning in close to her, he whispered, "Good luck on your mission." 

They both noticed that the Garden Faculty member was hovering close by, listening in on their conversation. Cid seemed to want to say more, but turned away instead, nodding at her. 

She looked toward the others, the lamp still in her hands, her question unasked. They looked back at her. Selphie and Zell both seemed to be eager and ready for orders, while Seifer gazed toward her vaguely, apparently lost in thought. 

Quistis tucked a renegade lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, we have some traveling to do, so let's get going."

+

Their cabin on the train to Timber was comfortable, its walls ringed with couches in red velvet. There was a minibar in the corner that Selphie and Zell had immediately raided for its single-serving containers of milk and orange juice. 

There were enough couches for each of them to have their own, but only Quistis and Seifer made use of them. Selphie was in the corridor outside the cabin. What she was doing, Quistis had no idea, but it seemed to involve a song about trains. Zell sat on the floor, stretching. 

Seifer occupied the couch across from her, his arms folded and his expression forbidding. He had been silent the entire trip so far, and she wondered if he was angry at being passed over for a leadership position twice in two days. 

"Seifer? All right?" 

He gave her an unfriendly look. "Leave me alone." 

On the floor Zell's gaze whipped from Seifer to Quistis. 

But she only shrugged and leaned her head back against the couch. It wasn't a battle worth pursuing. She closed her eyes. 

Selphie's singing voice drew nearer. The door opened and Quistis heard her throw herself down onto an empty couch. "How much longer to Timber?" she said, yawning. 

"Less than an hour," said Zell. 

"That little?" she said, sounding disappointed. "Oh well, I don't feel so great anyway." 

"You can rest if you want," murmured Quistis. "We've got some time." 

Selphie didn't reply, and for a moment there was only the soothing, clacking sound of the train as it rattled along the tracks. 

Then she heard a soft thump. Her eyes snapped open just as Seifer said, "Trepe!" 

Zell was prone on the floor in front of her; the thump she had heard must have been his head hitting the carpet. Selphie, on the couch next to Seifer's, had slumped over sideways, her mouth open. 

As one she and Seifer launched themselves out of their seats. Quistis rushed to the window and shoved it open; a blast of icy air from the tunnel outside yanked at her hair. Seifer stood by the compartment door, his gunblade at the ready. She loosened her whip from its coil on her hip. 

She nodded at Seifer and moved to kneel by Zell. His pulse was normal and his color good; he was simply unconscious. Selphie was the same. Thinking of the drinks from the minibar, she waved her hand and cast an antidote spell over them, but nothing happened. She got similar dismal results from the others she tried. 

Bewildered, she stood, shivering in the cold rush of wind from the window. If this were some sort of attack, surely their enemies would have acted overtly by now. Still she stood, completely alert, her whip in her hand. 

Minutes ticked by slowly, and still nothing happened. Quistis was bone-cold; the damp air from the tunnel rushed over her continually. 

Just when she began to shiver, Zell groaned. She was at his side in an instant, helping him sit up. 

"Are you all right?" 

"Think so," he mumbled. "Just feel strange." 

Quistis pulled him to his feet and led him to a couch, where he sat, propped his elbows on his knees, and cradled his head in his hands. 

Selphie stirred then, and once she and Zell were both comfortable Quistis closed the window. Seifer did not move from his post at the door. 

"What happened?" Quistis said, looking at Zell and Selphie. 

"I dunno," said Selphie, yawning. "I fell asleep, I guess. Had a funny dream." 

"Me too," said Zell. "There was this guy, Laguna--" 

Selphie looked around at Zell in surprise. "There was a Laguna in my dream too! He's a Galbadian soldier--" 

Zell stared back at her. "He was supposed to be in Timber--" 

"But they went to Deling City instead!" exclaimed Selphie. 

"Yeah, and he likes this piano player named Julia-" 

"But she gives his leg a great big cramp! So funny!" laughed Selphie. 

"I don't believe this," said Seifer furiously. "You two should be sacked, making up shit like that. We thought someone was trying to take us out." He stalked from the door and sat down on a couch. 

"We're not lying!" Zell protested. Quistis saw his hands form fists and spoke up quickly. 

"We're all okay. I don't know what happened but this isn't the time to worry about it. After the mission I'll file a report, but for now let's just drop it." 

Seifer snorted, and Zell glared daggers at him, but they did drop it. Quistis understood Seifer's point of view; it did seem ridiculous. But Selphie and Zell had both looked so surprised… Still, this wasn't the time to think about it. They were on a mission, after all.

+

The first thing Quistis noticed about Timber was the heavy presence of Galbadian guards. Timber was a hothouse for resistance groups, she knew, so it was understandable, but she hadn't been expecting quite so many. 

Standing on the platform outside of the train, she looked around a bit more and made a few internal guesses about the identity of their contact. To her dismay, as soon as she made eye contact with the short, unassuming man she had already picked out in her mind, he made his way over to her. He's not very good at stealth, she thought to herself. I wonder how this is going to go-- honestly, if the rest of them are like this I don't see us having much chance. 

The prospect of failing her mission made her feel gloomy, but she exchanged the passwords with him. They're going to get us killed, Quistis thought as she waved at the others to follow them. 

Not that my life's been so great lately anyway, she thought. 

The man, who identified himself as Watts, led them to another platform where they boarded a canary yellow train. 

The compartment they entered was much like the main compartment of the train they had just vacated, bare metal floors and walls. 

Another man with dark hair and wearing casual clothing awaited them. He gave them an amiable smile. "So you guys are SeeDs?" 

She stepped forward. "I'm the squad leader, Quistis. This is Zell, and Selphie, and Seifer," she introduced her team, gesturing at each in turn. 

"Nice to meet ya," said the dark-haired man. "I'm Zone, leader of the Forest Owls." Quistis shook his hand. Zone then shook Selphie's hand but ignored Zell's, which he had hastily wiped on his shorts before extending. Seifer never even offered, but retreated to stand near the stairs, arms folded. 

"Looks like you've already met Watts. I guess it's just our princess then." 

"It's her nap time," said Watts, looking worried. 

"Ah," said Zone, looking almost as nervous as Watts. He looked again at the SeeDs. "Hey, Quistis, sorry, but could you go get the princess?" He offered her a weak smile. 

She frowned. "We're combat specialists," she said. "Were we hired to run errands?" 

He looked at her in dismay. "N-no," he stammered. "Are you angry?" 

"Not yet," she said, trying not to smile. 

Seifer interrupted their exchange. "Never mind," he said. "I'll do it." 

Quistis looked at him in surprise. Seifer had been more sullen than she had ever seen him the last few hours, and she would never have expected him to volunteer for anything under her command in any case. But she didn't stop him as he climbed the stairs and strode purposefully down the corridor.

+

The sound of the door opening roused Rinoa out of a sound sleep. She rolled over and opened her eyes, preparing to give whoever had just waltzed right into her room a good tongue-lashing. 

All her sleep blurred eyes saw was the SeeD uniform. 

Quickly, she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and launched herself at him. "SeeD is here! YES!" she cried, and looked up at him in confusion as he caught her wrist before she could hug him. 

"Seifer," she breathed, and felt her eyes go round and her face begin to turn red. She hadn't really considered the possibility that the man who comprised half of her second-most complicated relationship would be assigned to the SeeD team she had talked Cid into practically giving her. At least, she hadn't considered it very much. 

He looked down at her and she saw that he was furious. 

"What's wrong?" she said, confused, and then she knew. He thought she had requested him for her squad. And his angry reaction to that suspicion told her more than she wanted to know about how he felt about her. 

He couldn't seem to put his accusation into words, so she did it for him. 

"No. I didn't." She ripped her wrist out of his gloved hand. "I would never do that. And if you think I would, well, you're wrong." 

Is that the truth? she asked herself. I think so. I never even thought of requesting him, and if I had, I still wouldn't have done it. I don't want to trap him. I just-- God, this is going to suck. 

Seifer was still glowering at her, and she sighed, shaking her finger at him. "Knock it off, Seifer. It's not like that," she scolded. Then she grinned. "Thank God they sent someone competent, at least. Now that you guys are here, we'll be able to carry out all kinds of plans!" 

Flattery generally worked well when dealing with Seifer. Sure enough, the suspicious look faded. He grinned at her in a very self-satisfied way. "That's right. Little did they realize they sent the best." 

She clapped her hands. "So are you the leader?" 

He rolled his eyes. "No, it's Quistis Trepe. A failed instructor." His tone left no room for interpretation; he did not like Quistis Trepe at all. 

She tapped his chest with her index finger. "Now, now. Play nice, you big meanie. I'm sure she'll be fine, and even if she's not we still have you. So let's get out there, we need to go over the plan. C'mon." 

Rinoa shoved him playfully and led the way back to the main compartment. 

A young woman with blonde hair met her gaze. "I'm Quistis," she said. "This is Selphie, and Zell. You've already met Seifer." 

Little do you know, thought Rinoa. 

"Hi everyone!" She smiled around the room. "This is a full scale operation. Our resistance, 'The Forest Owls', will be forever known in the pages of Timber's independence! Exciting, huh? It all started when we got a hold of top-secret info from Galbadia." 

"I got the info, sir!" piped up Watts. 

"There's a VIP from Galbadia coming to Timber," continued Zone. 

"Super V-I-P!" trilled Watts. 

"The guy's name is Vinzer Deling. Our archenemy, and the President of Galbadia," explained Zone. 

"Vinzer Deling is a scoundrel," growled Watts. "He's a dictator, not a president. Not even popular in Galbadia, sir!" 

"President Deling is taking a private train from the Galbadian capital," continued Rinoa. 

"Our plan is to--" began Zone. 

"Blow it to smithereens with a rocket launcher?" Selphie interrupted. 

"Ah, not quite," said Zone. 

"So get to the point!" Zell said. "Just tell us what to do!" 

"Shall we begin?" smiled Rinoa. "All right. Our goal is to kidnap the President. Here are the models." She pointed to the workbench. "See the two trains? This yellow one is the one we're riding in now. And see the red car on the end? That's the dummy car. We're going to swap the president's car with the dummy car using the switch points leading up to Timber. 

"And here's how we're going to do it," she said, gesturing at them to join her around the workbench. 

Twenty minutes later, Quistis said, "It seems feasible. But why bother with the dummy car at all? Why not just snatch the president's car and have done with it?" 

"That's the best part," said Rinoa. "The dummy car is a complete replica of the president's car. And inside will be a mechanical replica of Vinzer himself. With what he's programmed to say, his guards won't dare disturb him. They'll never know the real president isn't there until it's far too late to catch us." 

"Dummy car, dummy president," murmured Seifer. 

Rinoa beamed, gratified that he liked the idea. "So, we have five minutes to execute the plan, which should be plenty of time." 

"Um," Selphie said, staring at the tiny trains on the workbench. "This model's nice but the president's car looks kinda shabby. Is there a reason?" 

"Yeah, Rinoa made it. That's why. We bought everything else at the gift store," Watts answered, and cringed at the look Rinoa gave him. 

"Whoa, I thought some kid made it. The paint job sucks, too," said Zell, who at times was not very quick on the uptake. 

Rinoa noticed Quistis covering her mouth with one gloved hand, and that was the last straw. 

"Oh, shut up!" she snapped. "I made it look like that on purpose. It represents my hatred towards Deling." 

"That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. You must really hate him," said Selphie, all innocence. Rinoa saw the corners of Seifer's mouth twitch and felt her face go red. 

"Are you guys finished?" she said, exasperated. "Enough about the model! Can we get on with it now?" 

"That's way too much hassle," said Selphie. "Hey! How about this? Let's derail the president's car. Y'know, hit him with a big log or something. Then we watch it crash and burn! Ooh! So what do you guys think?" 

Everyone in the room stared at her. 

Finally, Zell ventured, "What's the point of killing him before abducting him?" 

Selphie just smiled, and Rinoa took that as her cue to finish the strategy meeting up. 

"Okay. That's all." 

"Quistis, I want you, Selphie and Zell to handle the uncoupling between the first escort and the president's car. After that you guys can help us with the second. Sound okay?" 

Everyone nodded. 

Rinoa nodded to Zone. "Let's do it."

+

The wind whipped through Rinoa's hair as she crouched atop the first car of their train, and she wished she'd had the foresight to pull it back. 

Their train gained on President Deling's quickly. As the Owls' train slowed and began to pace the president's, it seemed to Rinoa that both trains were perfectly stationary, that crossing to the other train would be as easy as leaping over a puddle. 

She gestured to Quistis, who nodded to her teammates and lead the leap onto the roof of the enemy train. Watching them, she saw that it really was easy, and Rinoa waited until they were clear and then she and Seifer followed. 

Rinoa took a deep breath and launched herself into the air. She landed on her feet in a crouch but as she straightened she lost her balance and found herself windmilling her arms, the ground below her rushing by, the wind screaming in her ears. Seifer barely blinked. He pulled her to her feet and made no comment. 

They ran low, crouched over against the wind. She could feel her heart pounding. Either she was hyperventilating or having trouble catching her breath with all the wind. It seemed to take forever to get across the roof of the second escort, but her watch told her it had only been thirty seconds or so. 

They made the short, mercifully easy jump over the gap between their car and the president's. Rinoa raised her head cautiously and tried to spot the other team. 

Quistis, Selphie and Zell had already crossed from the other side of the president's car to its first escort, and she could see Selphie keeping a close lookout for any potential interruptions. Zell lay flat on the roof of the car and Quistis crouched on the edge, the cable that would drop her gripped in both gloved hands. Her gaze rested on Selphie. 

Selphie gave the all-clear with a wave of her arm and Quistis dropped over the side and out of sight. 

Thirty seconds passed during which Rinoa tried not to look at the trees down on the ground whipping past them and out of sight. Then Zell braced himself and Quistis reappeared, hauling herself up hand over hand. 

As she watched them leap back to the president's car Rinoa felt the deceleration that meant they had successfully uncoupled the two cars. By the time Quistis, Zell, and Selphie joined them at their end of the car they were quite distant from the first car. 

She watched this distance grow further as Zell readied the cable for Seifer, and soon the yellow car on the other track had passed them. 

Any time now, she thought, and then they must have passed the first switch point, for the yellow train joined them on their track. It slowed, and Rinoa felt the smallest of jolts as the two trains connected. 

Their deceleration slowed, and then stopped. 

She lay flat on the car, one arm hooked around a handrail, the other over the edge as far as she could get it. She waited until they were speeding up and then yelled, "Go!" 

Then he was over, and she looked over the side for his thumbs up. When she saw it she extended four of her fingers and waited for the next thumbs up from him. She fed him the other three numbers in the same way. 

Zell pulled Seifer up, and then they hit the next switch point and zipped over to the other track. Rinoa turned her head and watched as the escort behind them was slung into the rear of the enemy train-- the last car of which was their dummy car. She smiled, and then they ran across the red roof toward their own train and climbed down into the main compartment with windburned cheeks. 

Zone burst into the room. "Finally!" We've waited so long for this encounter with Vinzer." 

She grinned. "Well then, as soon as you're ready I'll begin 'serious negotiations' with the president."

+

The president's car was luxurious, its furniture covered in dark red velvet and its walls in gleaming mahogany panels. The president himself sat in a long booth, cupping a mug of some hot drink in his hands, facing away from them. 

Rinoa stood in front of a nervous Zone and four SeeDs who frowned and fingered weapons. 

"President Deling," she said in a clear and ringing voice. "My name is Rinoa Heartilly and on behalf of the citizens of Timber I demand that you withdraw your troops at once and accept--" she paused, noticing at last that the president had not even turned his head to look at her, did not seem be aware of her presence at all, "-the status of Timber as a free nation state. I assure you that you will not be harmed as long as you don't resist," she concluded, feeling bewildered and wrong-footed at his complete lack of response. 

"And if I do resist? What would you do? Young lady?" The president's voice grated in her ears, not quite human, and she gasped. 

"What's this?" said Quistis. 

"Boo hoo. Too bad," said the president, and unfolded himself from his seat. Rinoa took a step back, horrified. 

"I'm not the president. I'm what they call a body double." He paused, and his arm twitched. Behind her she heard the sound of weapons being drawn. 

"All these rumors about the many resistance groups in Timber. You pass along a little false information and they fall for it. How pathetic. Seems like there are only amateurs around here." 

"Amateurs?" whispered Rinoa. She backed up, stopping when she bumped into Seifer who put a steadying hand on her shoulder. 

"So what did you have in store for me if I resisted? Why don't you tell me?" His voice jittered and wavered. 

He turned suddenly and executed a shambling, leap at them, a longer jump than any human could have made, and roared. "How dare you insult the president!" 

Seifer pushed Rinoa behind him and charged, gunblade slicing into the body double's neck like a hot knife through butter. He didn't bother to press the trigger; the force of his blow had nearly severed the creature's neck. 

He half-turned back to the group, but Rinoa watched in horror as the damaged creature behind him lurched back up to its knees. Its head flopped to the side, the wound in its neck spurting blood everywhere, and it shrieked, a sound that hurt her ears. It jittered and spasmed, and started to transform into something else. 

It gurgled and lurched, chuckled and shook, and Rinoa's stomach roiled slowly in her abdomen. But she swallowed her nausea, and then Quistis shouted, "It's undead!" Green light shot from her gloved fingertips and the thing screamed in rage. 

Selphie and Zell both converged on it at once, apparently fearless. 

When they were out of striking range and the creature was howling with pain and rage she launched her own weapon, glad that she didn't have to be in close to damage it. It struck the creature's arm lamely, and the monster's eyes glowed as it turned an evil glare upon her. 

She shrank back under that malevolent gaze, and when it sprang at her wasn't able to avoid the blow it dealt with its misshapen arm to her temple. She cried out and it sprang away, only to be run through by Hyperion. 

This time, Seifer pulled the trigger. The creature had no time to scream before its chest exploded in a shower of gore and gray flesh. 

She rubbed her head, disoriented, and found Seifer watching her. He handed her a small glass bottle. 

"You all right?" 

"Yeah, I think so. It just smacked me pretty good." She wanted to cry. They'd pulled off the kidnapping. She'd been so proud for those few minutes before the grotesque body double showed her how easily Galbadia had taken her in. 

She struggled with the cork of the bottle, feeling foolish. Seifer took it back, uncorked it, and handed it to her without comment. 

"Thanks," she said, and downed it. It was syrupy and sweet, and probably the last thing her stomach needed, but if it made her head feel better she didn't care. 

Watts burst through the cabin door, nearly bouncing with excitement. "Info, sir! New info!" 

Rinoa nodded at him, relieved to have something to distract her from the failed, pointless mission. "Let's get out of here." 

Watts managed to hold his information inside until they reached the strategy room, but Rinoa could tell he would burst soon if not allowed to reveal his information. She wanted to smile, but felt too tired. 

And as soon as they were all crowded in the room, he launched right in. "It's big news! I found out the real reason why the president's coming here, sir! The president wants to come to the TV station! Security's really tight, sir!" 

Rinoa frowned. "The TV station? In Timber? But they can broadcast just as easily from Deling City." 

"The only TV station that can handle broadcasts over radio waves is in Timber. Other stations use HD cable," said Zone slowly. 

"Radio waves? But the interference signal…" 

"Do you think the Communication Tower in Dollet has anything to do with this?" wondered Selphie. 

"What's that?" asked Zone. 

"Dollet has a communication tower that can transmit and receive radio waves," explained Quistis. "It was abandoned for a long time, but the Galbadian Army got it up and running yesterday." She glanced at Seifer, who ignored her. 

"So?" said Rinoa. 

"So maybe they're trying to boost a signal over the interference signal. Maybe with both Timber and the tower in Dollet they can push it through." 

"But why? Just to broadcast to regions without HD? Nobody's going to have their receivers on, if they even have them anymore. It doesn't make sense." 

"I don't know," said Quistis. "It's strange." 

"Well, we don't need to know what they're up to," said Rinoa. 

"We don't?" said Zell, nonplussed. 

"No, we don't. It doesn't matter what they're trying to do. All I want to do it stop them. So let's come up with a plan then! Can you guys give us a minute?" she said to the SeeDs. 

Quistis, Zell, and Selphie shared a glance, and the squad leader stepped forward. "Before you go any further, can we see your contract with our Garden?" 

"Oh sure," she said, and pulled it out. "Cid is such a nice man." She handed it to Quistis and squatted on the floor with Zone and Watts. 

"We're going to the TV station," said Rinoa. "You said security was tight?" she asked Watts. 

"Yes, sir. City trains aren't running. Sentries patrolling the streets. The guards are situated in the hotel. There's no way we can approach the TV station directly. That whole part of the city is heavily guarded." 

"I've got that covered," said Rinoa. "I know a back way. I bet it won't be guarded at all." 

Zone nodded. "We're still going to run into guards, probably quite a few once we get inside. Think they can handle it?" He nodded toward the SeeDs grouped around their contract. 

"If they can't, nobody can," said Rinoa. She glanced at the SeeDs. Quistis was talking fast, too far away for Rinoa to catch her words, but she could see how white her face was. The blonde woman touched Seifer's arm, and Rinoa felt a twinge of jealousy. Seifer frowned and shook his head, and Quistis talked some more. Selphie and Zell watched them intently, but didn't speak. She wondered if they were talking about the contract. 

"I think that's it," she said, turning back to Zone and Watts. "Simple and effective."

+

The alleyway behind Aphorora's Pub smelled distinctly of vomit. Rinoa wrinkled her nose in distaste. 

"Whew!" said Selphie. "Nasty!" 

"It's not far now," she said to the others. "Let's get a move on." 

They hurried over cobbles slick with liquids best not scrutinized too closely. It was dim, so that wasn't too much of a problem. The buildings that gave the alley its shape effectively blocked the sun out. 

They made a sharp turn and Rinoa pointed. "There it is. The crew door is at the top of those stairs." 

"Whoa, look! An outdoor TV," said Zell, and indeed, Rinoa could see a large screen set into the side of the TV station. 

As they watched, it flickered and displayed a podium. Standing behind it they could see a very excited man, apparently one of the president's aides. 

"People of the world! Can you see me? Can you hear me? Oh, this is incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it's been seventeen years since a live broadcast has been possible! We would like to present to you today a message from the President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling. Ladies and gentlemen, President Deling." He stepped aside and another man took his place. Vinzer Deling, dressed in a rich dark suit, looked wise and benevolent. Rinoa sneered silently. 

"Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, lifelong president of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition. We the people of the world have the power to end all wars." 

"See, see! It's a peace proposal to the world. I knew it!" bounced Selphie. 

They climbed partway up the stairs and Watts pointed. "Look at all the guards." 

Rinoa grimaced. "Maybe we should think of a new plan." 

"We can take them," said Seifer. "Now or never." He looked at Quistis meaningfully, who nodded. 

"All right. Ready?" She looked at the SeeDs she had hired, weapons drawn and eyes facing the enemy. 

"Seifer," murmured Quistis. "You get the President. I'll cover you." 

He nodded, and then the SeeDs lunged up the stairs. Rinoa followed behind as fast as she could. 

Seifer cut his way through most of the guards standing sentry and kicked the door open. Quistis took care of the ones he missed, and Zell and Selphie covered them, leaving Rinoa to follow as she could over the bodies. She was the last one through the door, and was surprised to see that it led directly to the studio. She tried to orient herself, but all she could see was people fighting. 

By the time she picked out the SeeDs it was essentially over. The SeeDs held weapons on those few guards who were still standing, and when she located him she found that Seifer was just cutting his way through the last of Vinzer's bodyguards. 

Seifer's gunblade rose to point at President Deling's throat. At nearly the same moment, Rinoa, standing in the open doorway, noticed a shadow fall over hers. Her eyes widened, but that was all she had time to do before a leather-clad arm circled her waist, pinning her arm against her side. Before she really knew what was happening, a blade was threatening her own neck. 

She smelled sandalwood, leather, and sweat. She froze. 

"Seifer," said a cool voice in her ear. Seifer turned his head minutely. 

"Squall!" Quistis's shocked voice rang through the studio. 

"Should've known you'd turn up here," said Seifer. "Haven't learned your lesson yet, have you?" 

"Put it down, Seifer," said the man holding her hostage, unruffled. 

"Over my dead body," said Seifer, and laughed. 

"Seifer," said the voice near her ear patiently, "It won't be your body. It'll be hers." The blade at her throat pressed closer. 

Seifer laughed again. The sound reassured Rinoa, but only for a moment. "Go ahead. Kill her." Seifer looked into Rinoa's eyes, and she saw cold fury there. "Please." 

A gasp escaped her; she was unable to prevent it. Tears filled her eyes, mercifully blurring the indifferent look on Seifer's face. 

But Squall did nothing. 

What a mess. All she'd wanted was to help Timber, and she'd messed it up. Seifer hated her. She wished she'd had the foresight to request that he not be on the squad. She wished she'd never met him. 

"You want me to do it? What's your game, Seifer?" 

"She," Seifer nodded at Rinoa, "somehow landed what amounts to a lifetime contract. So I'm stuck here, trying to liberate Timber of all pointless things, forever. Or at least until Deling is overthrown." He raised his eyebrows and inclined his head to Squall. "Or until she dies." 

"Sorry, but I don't believe you," said Leonhart. "Garden doesn't hire out permanently." 

She heard Quistis hiss, and out of the corner of her eye saw her cover her face with her palm. 

The cameras are still running, she realized. The whole world knows Garden was involved in an attempt on Deling's life. Oh, God. Galbadia will retaliate, I know it. Our best hope for freedom, gone, and it's all my fault. 

"I see," said the president, amused. "So you're all from Garden. Should anything happen to me, the entire Galbadian military will undoubtedly crush Garden. You can let go of me now," he said to Seifer. 

Seifer snorted. "You kidding me?" He nodded to Rinoa. "General Caraway is that girl's father. He runs your army, right? You think he's gonna do anything if you aren't there to make him? She's the one who hired us, you know. She's a traitor. You think your soldiers are gonna be happy about spending their lives to destroy Garden while their General ignores the traitor who paid us to do it?" 

"General Caraway is no longer in charge of G-Army," said the president in a mild voice. 

"Yeah? Stupid of you. Whoever you got can't be half as competent." He turned his attention to the man still holding her. "So, you still gonna kill her, Leonhart? Since you care so much for Galbadia now, it'll look kind of bad when you murder the daughter of one of its generals, don't you think?" 

"You said it yourself," said Squall. "She's a traitor." 

"Looks like we're at an impasse, then." 

Seifer was smiling, a wide, manic grin, and for the first time in her life she hated seeing it.

+

Squall woke up disoriented, the handle of the ceramic cup slipping from his fingers. He clutched at it in slow reflex, blinking, and set it back on the table. 

He had a moment of panic in which he could not remember where he was, or why, but as he looked around he remembered, and relaxed. 

Timber. He was in Timber, sitting in a booth in the back of a breakfast diner. He'd ordered coffee and a bagel and had spread the newspaper he'd bought over the table. 

And then he'd fallen asleep. 

He looked at the bagel. One neat bite marred its circular perfection. I took one bite and fell asleep? But I wasn't tired. Now he was puzzled and worried, and wondered if something was wrong with him. 

Had that weird dream, too, he thought. Laguna. It hadn't felt like a dream, though. It had felt unpleasantly realistic, actually. He'd been a soldier who had skipped out on his assignment to go party in Deling. He'd liked the piano player at the bar, had gone there specifically to see her, but his leg had hurt when he went near her… 

He spent a moment pondering the ridiculous nature of dreams, and took a sip of coffee. It was stone cold, and he wondered how long he had been asleep. 

So strange, the way he had just fallen asleep, right here in public. He evaluated his condition cautiously and concluded after a moment that he felt fine. If it happens again I'll worry, but it's pointless to think about it now. 

Glancing down at the newspaper, he noticed that it had been printed not in Timber but in Deling City. 

"Need more coffee, hon?" The waitress snapped her gum. 

"Thanks," he said, and waited while she poured. 

"No problem, hon." She leaned closer to him. "I hear the Timber Owls tried to abduct the president. But they failed, and now there are guards everywhere. No other faction's gonna have a chance at anything at all." She shook her head. 

Ah, he thought. So Timber was restless under Galbadia's rule, which explained why it wasn't allowed to print its own newspapers. 

"Do you mind?" he said, and the waitress shrugged and strolled away. 

Squall scanned the newspaper. The cover story detailed President Deling's visit to Timber, and suggested vaguely that he might introduce a new ambassador with whom he would make plans for world peace. 

Squall rolled his eyes and wondered what was really their agenda. He knew he didn't have an objective view, having lived at Garden for as long as he could remember where Galbadia had a reputation as an extremely hostile country. But then, news was written in Garden and their network did not access the outside world. Wishing he knew the whole story, he tossed Gil on the table and glanced out the window. 

To his utter surprise, he spied Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, an unassuming gentleman, and a young dark-haired woman, strolling past the window and talking amongst themselves. 

What is SeeD doing here? he wondered, and then he knew. Vinzer Deling is in Timber to give a speech. Something about a peace proposal. Of course Garden will try to interfere; if Deling actually comes up with something, Garden will be out of business. 

At that moment he would have been willing to bet his life that it was an internal Garden mission, with no contact attached. 

They're going to try and take out the president. He slipped out the door of the diner and stretched, circumspectly looking for the SeeD squad. We'll see about that, he thought.

+

"Looks like we're at an impasse, then," said Seifer. 

Squall didn't reply. He was in a bad spot, and Seifer knew it. They were stuck until someone broke their deadlock, and he was afraid it would end with Seifer slicing Deling a new grin from ear to ear. 

He moved into the studio, dragging the girl with him until his back was safely turned to a wall. 

A sudden wind blew the door shut and the sound it made when it slammed into its frame distracted him from the girl. She took the opportunity to grind her heel into his foot. He held onto her and grimaced, not wanting to hurt her. 

The lights went out. 

Squall cursed and moved his gunblade enough away from the girl's neck to make yanking her even more to the side safer. 

"What the hell is that?" someone exclaimed in the darkness, and he looked up. 

He blinked, not sure what he was seeing. The wall behind Seifer and President Deling was glowing; pulsing green and purple made a shimmering, surreal pattern in the darkness. 

At the center of the shifting, swirling light a dark figure grew clearer and clearer until it was in perfect focus; it was a woman. 

The lights turned on. 

A woman wearing a long black dress stood at the far end of the room. She was beautiful and slender, her shining dark hair coiled elaborately around her head, her lips and face painted with dark violet. 

She raised her arms, the headdress she wore chiming softly as she moved. Slowly, sticky-looking spheres of magenta light flowed from her hands toward the SeeDs. Two of them backed away, but the globs of light followed them, and when they settled onto them, the target crumpled gradually to the floor. 

He saw Seifer, was slumped over and holding himself upright only by virtue of the gunblade he had planted in the floor, and Deling, who stood behind him, brushing unconcernedly at his sleep. 

She must be the ambassador, Squall thought. 

Her eyes locked onto his, and he saw that they were a strange golden color. 

"I thank you," said the woman in a solemn voice. "But you can let her go. She's no danger." 

Squall pushed the girl away from him, still looking at the woman. The girl in blue fell to her hands and knees but made no attempt to rise. 

Many images flashed through his mind; a meadow full of wildflowers, an abandoned lighthouse, Galbadia Garden, a hand on his arm. He blinked and the woman spoke to him again. 

"I am the Sorceress Edea. Do you remember me, Squall?" Her voice was melodious, and although it reminded him of something, he could not remember what. 

"No." 

"I thought you might not. But we've met before." 

"Where?" he croaked. 

"A long time ago. We can speak of it later, if you like. For now," she waved her hand, "I have a proposal." 

He watched her, stared into her eyes. 

"A job offer, if you like," she said softly. 

Everyone else in the room seemed to fade away until he and the sorceress were the only ones standing there. He could almost feel it, her interest in him, as though their minds were as linked as their eyes. Whispers played at the very edges of his hearing. 

"What do you think of Deling's proposal? Does it interest you?" Her low, gentle voice seemed almost to float into his ears, wafted along by her breath. 

He found himself curiously unwilling to break eye contact with her. Was this the power of a sorceress, the ability to hypnotize? Was she trying to lure him into doing his bidding? Squall steeled himself, trying to concentrate on logical thoughts. 

"World peace?" he said brusquely. "Who wouldn't be interested in that?" 

Sorceress Edea's hand moved as though it was under water; she indicated the SeeDs strewn about the room. 

"Filth like this," she whispered. 

Something seemed to snap in his head and he no longer wondered if she was using a sorcerous kind of mind control on him; her words had drawn his full, utter attention and he would not have heard it if someone had screamed in his ear at that moment. 

All he could see were golden eyes, and all he could hear was the rush of whispers around him, invisible multitudes crying his name. A sudden memory came of standing as a child in the rain, trying to assure himself that he would be all right on his own. How old had he been then? Five? Six? 

Rage filled him, blinding him even to the sorceress' face. How many others had memories like that, horrible memories of abandonment, of childhood gone wrong? Garden had done it, had made children into monsters, and all for money, only for money. 

Squall found himself on his knees, staring furiously into darkness. The sorceress was in front of him, and her dress was the blackness. She bent down to him and put her hand on his shoulder. 

"They should pay," he said to her. His voice broke but he was too angry to care. 

"You can make them," she said. 

"Yes," he said, struggling to his feet. "And I will." 


	4. Deling City

* * *

**DELING CITY**

* * *

_"I don't care if you miss. Just think of it as a signal. A sign for us to make our move." -- Squall Leonhart._

Make yourselves at home," the dark-haired woman said, smiling around at the group of SeeDs standing in her kitchen. Selphie smiled back. 

"Thanks, Chief," Rinoa said, gesturing for the others to follow her upstairs. 

"She's the leader of the Forest Fox," Rinoa explained while they climbed. "Almost everyone's a resistance member in this town. But right now, we're the only ones that are really active." She sighed. "Let's stay here for a while." 

Rinoa didn't sound like her usual self. Not that Selphie really knew her well or anything, but what she'd seen so far had given her the impression that Rinoa was nearly as energetic and vivacious as Selphie herself. Not that I'm feeling all that great right now either, thought Selphie as she followed Rinoa into a small bedroom. 

She sank down on the bed gratefully, rubbing her thigh where the butt of a G-army soldier's rifle had slammed into it just an hour before. 

"I still don't get it," she grimaced. "Why did Squall show up here? He's a SeeD cadet. Why would he suddenly run renegade and do something crazy like that?" 

Seifer leaned against the wall and folded his arms. "He flunked the SeeD exam." 

"Oh, she said. Now that she thought of it she hadn't seen Squall in Headmaster Cid's office when he'd given the newly promoted SeeDs their grade reports. 

Quistis sat down on the bed beside her and the small group, tired from all the excitement, was quiet. 

"I don't think that's why," offered Quistis after a few moments. 

Seifer frowned at her. "So what's your theory, then? He left B-Garden and showed up in Timber to see you?" The sarcasm in his voice was thick and disdainful. 

Selphie saw the corners of Quistis's mouth turn down. 

"Seifer," said the captain as she looked at the floor, "if you speak that way to me again I'll have you demoted. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I'm too tired to deal with your bullshit right now." 

Seifer's frown deepened and he unfolded his arms. "Listen, Trepe--" he began. 

Rinoa's voice, sharp with annoyance, cut him off in mid-sentence. "Knock it off. We don't have time for this. Whatever's going on with that Squall guy isn't important at the moment. We have to think of what to do next. Starting with getting out of Timber." Her gaze flicked around the room. 

"Garden Code, Article 8, line 7," said Quistis, rubbing her temples. 

Selphie's brain immediately retrieved the correct section, and she clapped her hands. "In the event that returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, report to the nearest Garden," she recited. Then she sat up straight at the thought that the nearest Garden might be T-Garden; she'd only been transferred from Trabia a few days before but she already missed it. 

"Galbadia Garden is closest, right?" said Zell, and Selphie sagged again, making a mental note to brush up on her geography. 

"The trains should be running again," said Rinoa. "We can take one to East Academy. G-Garden isn't too far from there." 

"We'll have to cut through the forest," Quistis said. "I've been there several times before; we'll be fine." 

"That's what we'll do, then," said Rinoa without much enthusiasm. 

Again, silence fell. Selphie fidgeted a bit, uncomfortable with the thick apathy she sensed from every occupant of the small bedroom except herself. 

"C'mon you guys!" she said finally. "Cheer up! We could be captured or even dead, but instead we're safe and still in the game." 

Quistis and Rinoa gave her identical weak smiles. Seifer glanced at her and then looked away. 

"You know what we need?" said Zell. "Food. I haven't eaten in ages and I'm starving to death. I bet we'd all feel better if we got something to eat." 

Rinoa perked up a bit. "Hey, you know what? Chief is a really good cook. Maybe we can ask her to fix us something." 

Just then there was a knock at the door. She, Quistis, Seifer and Zell all looked around alertly, hands inching toward weapons. But it was Watts who eased into the room. 

"Watts!" exclaimed Rinoa. "You're all right!" 

He grinned at her. "Just arrived. Chief told me to tell you that she's cooking you guys some dinner. And I have news, too. Timber Station's going to be shut down tonight. Almost all of the trains have already stopped running." 

"Oh no," said Quistis. 

Watts reached into his pocket. "Not to worry," he smiled at Quistis. "I have tickets for all of you on the last train going out of town today. It's going to East Academy. I figured even if you're not going there you'd at least want to get out of town, especially since it looks like they're locking the whole city down to find you." 

"How convenient," said Seifer. Selphie saw Rinoa shoot him a look, but she didn't say anything. 

"Will we have time to eat?" Zell asked, looking so plaintive that Selphie grinned. 

"Train leaves in an hour, and Chief's probably about done," said Watts. "I may, uh, join you for dinner." He grinned. 

"I'm gonna go help her," announced Rinoa, and her glance flickered to Seifer and away again before she left the room. Seifer watched her go, his expression blank, and then abandoned his place by the wall to peer out of the window overlooking the alley. 

Selphie looked at Quistis, who met her gaze and shrugged. That's weird, she thought. They don't act like employer and employee-- more like lovers having a spat. Did they know each other before this? They had to have, she decided. What a mystery! I'll have to ask Zell; maybe he'll know something. 

Her stomach growled, and she stood up in response. "I think I'm going to go help too," she said. She heard the sound of laughter from downstairs and moved to meet it.

+

"Galbadia Garden is on the other side of this forest," said Quistis, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Selphie wondered if she looked as scruffy as the blonde woman did. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was trying to escape her clip, and there were dark smudges under her eyes. She hoped not. "Let's go." 

Quistis took the lead, marching alone at the head of the group. Her step was as firm as ever, but the rigid line of her back spoke to Selphie of terrible weariness. 

Selphie, at the rear of the party, grabbed Zell's arm and slowed, nodding ahead at Rinoa and Seifer. The brunette and the young man walked side by side, and she squeezed his arm when she saw they were speaking. 

Zell shook her off, annoyed, but he watched the two ahead with as much interest as Selphie herself did. 

"Did you know Seifer spent last summer in Deling City?" he whispered. 

"No, I don't know anything; I just transferred here from Trabia a few days ago to take the SeeD exam. Why was he in Deling City?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just remember because the whole DC was gone for three glorious months." He grinned. "Didn't get busted _once._" 

"They must have met there," she theorized. "Think anything happened?" 

"It kind of seems like it. The way they're acting." 

"Maybe they're secretly engaged!" Selphie giggled at the thought. 

Zell scoffed. "Seifer, engaged? I really doubt it. And besides, seems like they're fighting or something. They all but spit every time they see each other." 

"Come on," she said, "I want to hear what they're saying." 

"Uh," said Zell. "Selphie," he tried, but she took possession of his arm again, and dragged him close enough to Rinoa and Seifer to overhear their conversation. 

"I just want to know," Rinoa said, "so I can send you back to Garden if necessary." 

Seifer shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. You can't get replacements-- did you even read that contract?" 

"Of course I did." Her voice was sharp. "I'd still have three SeeDs, and that's enough as far as I'm concerned. I saw today how devastating just one _cadet_ can be. Three SeeDs will be more than adequate." 

She fell silent for a moment, but Seifer did not speak. 

"You didn't answer my question," she said after a few seconds. "What happened back there?" 

"I was saving your life," Seifer said. "Or didn't you notice?" 

"Excuse me for not being thrilled." 

Seifer shrugged. "You'd rather be dead?" 

She sighed. "You just-- laid the hate on pretty thick. I'm sorry if I was a little hurt, but I have to wonder if that's not how you really feel." 

"I don't know, Rinoa. I don't like this situation. I know you say you didn't have anything to do with it, but this feels suspiciously like one of your games. And I know you; I know how you manipulate people. I'm getting to the point where I don't want to play games any more. It was fine last summer for you to use me against your father. My life and my career weren't involved." 

Seifer walked on without her when she slowed in surprise. 

"How dare you," she hissed. 

Selphie and Zell stopped to avoid running into her. 

"This isn't some kind of game," Rinoa said, her voice rising in anger. "How dare you judge my reasons when you don't even know them!" 

Seifer stopped in his tracks, turned, and spread his arms wide. "Then tell me." 

Selphie watched Rinoa and Seifer in fascination as their tempers and their voices rose. But before Rinoa could launch into the detailed, scathing explanation she was obviously planning, Quistis abruptly turned around. 

"For God's sake," she snapped, completely exasperated. "Can't you behave like adults for two seconds--" She stopped abruptly, and Selphie looked at her just in time to see her eyes roll back in her head. The tall blonde woman fell to the forest floor; there was a soft thud as her body hit the loamy ground. 

Selphie started forward to help, but Zell, pulled along by the strong grip of her hand, chose that moment to lose his balance and topple into her. She hit the ground with a startled squeak, and a moment later emitted a surprised oof as Zell fell on top of her, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Black spots began to flicker in and out of her vision. Everything faded to gray and she knew no more.

+

Selphie opened her eyes and blinked. She was staring at the ground; it was less than an inch from her nose. She frowned, unsure of what was happening, and remembered her trip to the dream world. 

She'd dreamed she was Laguna's friend Kiros again, and they had been exploring an Esthar excavation site, but had been caught. They had run from soldiers in pale uniforms, and eventually had met a dead-end in the form of a steep cliff overlooking the ocean. The last thing she could remember was jumping. 

"Oh no! Sir Laguna's in big trouble!" she yelled, and tried to get to her feet. Unfortunately, Zell was still on top of her and her efforts were in vain. "Get off me! Jeez, you're heavy! What the heck do you eat? Bricks?" 

She somehow managed to roll the still-unconscious Zell off of her and staggered to her feet. She brushed herself off, muttering under her breath about big fat SeeDs with stupid hair, and looked around. 

Seifer stood at the edge of the path they had been following, looking off into the surrounding forest. His expression was closed. On the opposite side of the path Rinoa sat, her head resting on her knees. 

She realized how silent the woods were. She turned and looked down the path; Zell lay on his back at her feet, Quistis a few yards further. 

Selphie turned back toward Seifer and Rinoa. 

"Uh," she said brilliantly. "Everything okay?" 

"Back, are you?" Seifer said shortly. 

Zell was already awake, sitting up and scratching his head. 

"Laguna again," he said. "This is so weird." 

"Yeah," she said. 

"C'mon, let's check on Quistis," she said, nudging his leg with her foot. 

They walked the short distance to where the captain lay, still flat on her back. Her breathing was slow but steady. 

"She looked really tired earlier. I wonder if she was just so exhausted she didn't wake up after the Laguna dream." 

They stood for a moment, watching her, and as if in agreement with Selphie's suggestion the blonde woman rolled onto her side, pillowing her cheek with one arm. Coiled loosely in her hand was her whip, a Red Scorpion. 

"Aw," said Selphie. "She looks so sweet. I hate to wake her up but we need to get going." 

"Quistis." She bent over. "Wake up." 

The captain opened her eyes, and Selphie felt a stab of guilt. If anything, Quistis looked worse than she had before her nap. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and as an added bonus there was also a liberal smear of dirt on her cheek. 

She sat up and looked at the ground, rubbing the back of her neck. Selphie recognized the look; she'd had it herself on a few occasions, on the rare mornings where her alarm clock woke her up too early. She'd get up, intending to go take a shower, but instead would find herself still sitting on the edge of her bed minutes later, staring off into space and thinking of nothing. 

Selphie reached into her pocket and took out a small vial of blue liquid. 

"You look beat, Captain. Drink this." 

Quistis looked up and blinked. "What is it?" she said even as she reached for it. 

She shrugged. "Potion." 

Quistis didn't hesitate at all before uncorking the vial and downing the contents. She sputtered, and coughed, but sat up straighter. Color bloomed in her pale cheeks. 

"That was no potion," she accused. 

"Sure it was," Selphie said. "Elixirs are potions too, you know." 

Quistis shook her head and rose to her feet. "Shouldn't waste supplies like that. A potion would have done." 

Selphie inclined her head in acknowledgement of the mild reprimand, but the change in Quistis was obvious. She felt that it had been an elixir well spent.

+

Selphie knew she didn't like Galbadia Garden before she ever set foot in it. They had approached it on foot from the forest, swinging over the meadows to intercept and follow the road, which was easier to walk on and safer in general. This Garden was much, much bigger than her old Garden, Trabia. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, as Balamb Garden was even bigger than G-Garden. But B-Garden's shape was more elegant, and was surrounded by green meadows, hills, and clusters of forests. Not to mention the blue ocean a stone's throw away. G-Garden crouched on the brown, flat plains of Galbadia like a patient, hulking predator. 

Or maybe she just didn't like the color red. 

They found themselves at the gate and halted. The gate guard glanced at them and returned to his magazine without pause. 

"It's so different," she said. 

"Quiet," remarked Zell. "I don't even hear any birds singing like at home." 

"Who cares?" said Seifer. "Let's just get on with it." He turned to Quistis. "So what do we need to do?" 

"I'm going to go talk to the headmaster. I've been here several times and I know him pretty well. I'll explain our situation." 

Seifer glanced at Rinoa. "Are you going to tell him Rinoa's here?" 

Why wouldn't he want the headmaster to know she was with us? wondered Selphie as Quistis assumed a thoughtful expression. 

"That shouldn't be a problem," said Quistis finally. "Our contract with Rinoa stands until Timber is liberated." 

Seifer nodded, but Selphie was still clueless, and could see that the others were too. 

"So what does that mean?" she asked. 

"Well, someone has to take the blame for the attack on the President." Quistis's voice took on a lecturing tone. "You can't hold a knife to the throat of the most powerful man in the world and get away with it. As far as I can guess, Galbadia will do one of two things. It will retaliate against Garden for the attack made on the President by SeeD members, or," and her eyes slid toward Rinoa, "or they will retaliate against the person who hired them to do so." She sighed. "Since our Code clearly states that Garden is impartial, and that SeeD will not act beyond the exact wording of a contract, that means that the second choice is more logical. Especially since we know that for some reason, her father has recently been demoted. In all likelihood, he did something they didn't like, and executing his daughter will be the final blow to his career." 

Seifer glared at the mention of execution, while Rinoa blanched. 

"Um, wouldn't that make it more dangerous for Rinoa to be here? Isn't it possible that Garden might turn her over to Galbadia? As a peace offering?" asked Zell. 

"You'd think so," said Quistis. "And don't think that's not a possibility. But there are other factors at work here. Our contract is still in effect. Which means that we can protect her, even if Garden gives us a direct order otherwise. According to the Code, the contract must be upheld during the mission, even against direct orders from Garden itself. That's so that clients have complete confidence that Garden won't back out and leave them hanging in the middle of an operation. But the Code wasn't meant to deal with the kind of contract you got, Rinoa. All the ones I've seen were very long, detailed, complete sets of orders, so that SeeDs knew exactly what to do and how to know when the mission was over. But yours is vague, and the operation is ongoing." 

"But how can just the four of us protect her if they decide to seize her?" Selphie said. 

Quistis uncoiled her whip from her hip and stretched it tightly between her hands, smiling. 

"Against all those SeeDs?" Zell demanded. 

"There aren't any SeeDs here," said Seifer. "Just students." 

Selphie nodded. She'd had to take the field exam at Balamb Garden, and all those who passed were stationed there permanently. 

"And we have GFs," Quistis added. "They don't. There's no way they could take us. We could hold off the entire Garden if we had to, for a little while at least. Long enough to get her out." 

"But it won't come to that. I know Martine pretty well. Just trust me." She smiled. "For now, take a look around, and stay out of trouble. I'll make sure they page you." 

Quistis walked through the gates. 

"Can we just find a place to sit down until they call us?" asked Rinoa. "I really don't want to attract a lot of attention." 

"Sure," said Seifer, and they followed Quistis's path into G-Garden. 

Unlike the Garden they had started their journey from, G-Garden did not sport a central administration column, or the massive fountain that ringed it. Instead, the whole room was open, although it was smaller than B-Garden's main court. Looking up, Selphie could see the second floor balcony that ringed the edge of the court. 

In the very center of the room the Seal was pressed into the marble stone; the familiar white and black symbol was as long as Selphie was tall. 

They sat all four on a low stone bench facing the Seal and waited, not speaking. 

I wonder what Martine's going to do with us, Selphie thought. Quistis is gonna ask to stay here for a while, right? 

"Seifer!" 

The loud voice was as startling as the report of a rifle in the quiet of Galbadia Garden. 

Looking, she saw two vaguely familiar faces approaching them. She tried to remember where she had seen them, but came up with nothing. The young man was dark-skinned, bulky with muscle and very tall. The slim woman striding beside him was a complete contrast with her pale skin, short platinum hair, and severity of expression. 

Seifer's friends? she wondered. 

Her guess was confirmed a moment later when the young man stopped in front of Seifer, grinning. "Thank God you're here, boss. Timber's a mess, ya know? Couldn't even get near the place." 

While he was speaking, the young woman with him cast her one-eyed glance over the rest of the party. Her gaze paused on Rinoa for a moment, but slid over Zell and Selphie without recognition or interest. 

"Raijin. Fujin. What are you guys doing here?" Seifer stood up, sounding surprised but not displeased. 

"This is our field exam. We're bringing you guys new orders," said Raijin. 

"New orders?" Rinoa said. 

"Do you know what they are?" Seifer asked. 

The big man shrugged. "Nope. We couldn't get into Timber so we came here. I'm glad you made it. We were worried when we saw the news." 

Fujin snorted. 

"Wait," said Seifer. "This is your SeeD exam? Who gave you the assignment?" 

"Headmaster," said Fujin. 

Seifer looked thoughtful, but didn't comment. 

Raijin shifted his weight from one side to the other. "Boss? We should probably be getting back to Balamb. Our assignment said to come right back." 

Seifer nodded. "Timber Station should be back up tomorrow morning. Get back to B-Garden on the double. No goofing around," he said, and gave Raijin a pointed look. The giant nodded as Fujin turned away, and then they broke into a steady trot that would take them out of G-Garden and onto the path that led to Timber. 

Seifer sat down again. Selphie saw Rinoa give him a questioning look, but just then the intercom paged them. "Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden. Please wait in the second floor Reception Room." 

"Listen," Seifer said, looking around at them. "They're going to present us with new orders. I don't know what Trepe will have told the Headmaster, but Rinoa, this is still your show. We'll pretend to accept the orders and decide what we want to do later. It's better this way-- less chance of trouble."

+

The second floor Reception Room was both elegant and comfortable. Selphie stood by the window and watched the paratroopers practicing outside in the sunshine. The others had arranged themselves on the two long couches in the center of the room. 

The waiting was silent and expectant, and finally the door opened and Quistis stepped inside. Selphie wondered if it was just her imagination, or if the air in the room was really getting heavy. 

"How'd it go?" Zell wanted to know. 

"They understand our situation," she said. "And Balamb Garden is safe." The tension in the room lightened considerably. 

"The attack on the president in Timber was classified as an independent action. There was an official notice from the Galbadian government saying that Balamb Garden is not being held responsible." She looked at Rinoa. 

"Galbadia is searching for you in Timber as we speak. They're saying you're to blame for this." 

"Well, I am," said Rinoa. "Did you tell them I'm here?" 

Quistis nodded. "I explained to Martine what happened and he assured me that he has not seen you, nor will he have seen you after we're gone." 

Seifer looked pleased. "And what now? I heard we were getting new orders." 

"Yes, but as I've already told you--" 

Seifer interrupted. "I've explained that already." 

Quistis didn't seem offended. "Good. We're supposed to assemble in front of the gate. We should get going, SeeDs." Her glance at Rinoa was meaningful and obviously understood; the slight brunette saluted in agreement. Seifer wordlessly reached over and corrected the placement of her hand.

+

Their haste was totally unnecessary; they'd been standing on the walkway outside the Garden for almost an hour before the large military vehicle carrying the Headmaster appeared. 

"What," said Zell. "He can't walk like everyone else?" 

Quistis shushed him, but Selphie privately agreed. 

The truck rumbled to a halt and a tall, dark-haired man stepped out. He was clad in a long dark jacket trimmed with silver, and Selphie fought an urge to giggle at the pompousness of the display. 

The five of them lined up in proper SeeD formation and saluted. The Headmaster looked over each of them without any trace of friendliness. 

"Good day," he said. "I have official orders from Headmaster Kramer addressed to you." 

Martine began to pace back and forth before them. "Following regulations, I have gone over these orders. After careful consideration of our options, we have decided to fully assist and cooperate with Headmaster Kramer. Actually, we too, have been planning for this quite some time now. In order to stress the importance of this mission, I must first brief you on the current situation." 

"At ease." Selphie relaxed along with the others. 

"You all know about the sorceress being appointed as the peace ambassador for the Galbadian government. However, this ambassador thing is just a cover up. There will be no peace talks, only threats. The sorceress creates fear among people. Therefore, peace talks are impossible. Galbadia is planning to use this fear to negotiate favorable conditions for itself. It is clear that Galbadia's ultimate goal is world domination." 

Martine stopped his pacing and gave the SeeDs a sharp look. "Garden is no exception, either. It is a fact that the sorceress is planning to use this Garden as her base." 

He paused and watched their reactions. She thought the sorceress might have more trouble than she expected if she thought Garden would just roll over and allow itself to be used that way. Still, the thought was disturbing, and Martine must have seen it on their faces, for he nodded. 

"We have very few options available to us. We entrust world peace, and the future, to you. Details of the mission are enclosed in these official orders." 

He handed a large envelope to Quistis, who opened it and scanned the enclosed documents. Selphie tried not to fidget but she was so curious about the contents of the envelope that it was difficult to stay still. 

"Any questions?" Martine said after a few moments. 

"The orders say 'by means of a sniper'. We have no one with that skill," said Quistis. 

"Don't worry about it," Martine said. "Let me introduce an elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden. Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!" 

They all turned to look in the direction the of the Headmaster's call. At first they only saw several figures, presumably students, lounging in the grass off the paved path. But one of them rose to his feet as they watched. 

Selphie suppressed a smile. Irvine Kinneas, apparently, was a wanna-be cowboy; he sported a wide hat, a knee length duster, and of all things, chaps. She felt the urge to smile evolving into a need to giggle and instead checked first one heel of her boot, then the other. By the time her little ritual was completed and both feet were back on the ground the desire to laugh had passed. 

That outfit is ridiculous, she thought, gazing at him. At least he's not short. That would make it even worse. 

"This is Irvine Kinneas," said Martine. "He will be your sharpshooter. Leave whenever you're ready." 

He looked the SeeDs over one last time and said, with an air Selphie guessed he thought impressive, "Failure is not an option." 

Martine returned to his truck, and Irvine must not have been impressed much either, for he pointed a long finger at the Headmaster's back and murmured, "Bang." 

Then the sharpshooter turned and offered them a lazy smile. "Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb. Greetings." 

As one, the party of five stared at him. 

"What the hell is your problem?" Zell finally demanded. 

Irvine's smile grew wider. "I say things that get a rise out of some people. Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine." 

"We'd get along better if you'd remember that each and every one of us is SeeD. We outrank you, cowboy," Seifer said. 

Zell shot a startled but gratified look at Seifer. 

"That's enough," interjected Quistis. "Irvine, this is Seifer, Selphie, Zell, and Rinoa. I'm Quistis. Let's just try to get along and make it through this mission." 

"Yes ma'am," said Irvine, tipping his hat at her. 

"Captain," snapped Quistis. 

Selphie could see Zell's expression. He was practically bouncing in place. Wow, he really took an instant dislike to the guy. 

She offered the newcomer a small commiserating smile. After all, the others were kind of in a bad mood. It wasn't really his fault he'd said the wrong thing right off. Compared to G-Garden, Balamb probably did seem kind of lax in the discipline department. And it was isolated, there was no denying it. God forbid he ever venture to Trabia, she thought, amused. 

The sharpshooter grinned back at her, and she looked away when she realized she was about to blush. Does he always give girls that look? she thought as she stared at the ground. 

"Captain?" Rinoa ventured. "What are the new orders?" 

Quistis looked down at the opened envelope in her hands. "It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden." She paused. "We're to assassinate the sorceress. We're to shoot her from afar. Kinneas will be our sharpshooter. We're to support him to our fullest, and should he fail, we are to attack head on." 

"Thanks," said Kinneas, "but I never miss my target." 

"Eliminate the sorceress," Quistis repeated. "That's our order. We're to head to Deling City and meet up with General Caraway to go over the details." 

She glanced at Rinoa and then fell silent. 

"That sounds pretty good, actually," said Rinoa, and then she noticed the surprised glances of everyone except for Irvine. 

"There's nobody better at devious plans than that man," she said. Selphie nodded. The explanation was oblique, but she understood. And she could tell by their faces that the others got it, too. 

Garden's orders had just become Rinoa's new orders. 

"So when are we going?" Irvine asked. 

"We're supposed to be there tomorrow afternoon," said Quistis. "We'll stay here tonight and rest up. Martine offered us guest suites. And that train station outside goes only to Deling City-- we'll can catch a train around noon and make it with plenty of time to spare." 

Selphie thought that was a fine idea. Even though she didn't particularly like the place, the prospect of sleep, food, and a bath made her almost want to run back into G-Garden.

+

Quistis looked out the window of one of Deling City's public transport buses. She didn't like the city at all. Not for any rational reason, she knew. The city was clean, the roads were paved. Parks took up quite a bit of space on the center of the city; flowers and green lawns looked well-kept and inviting in the afternoon sunlight. 

She hated it because the sorceress was here. She understood that getting rid of the horrible woman was their mission, and also understood that wherever the sorceress went, that place would also be the last place Quistis wanted to be. 

And not because she was afraid. She kept trying not to think about the subject, but there really wasn't any hope that she might be able to just stop dwelling on it. The facts were that the sorceress was here, that Squall was with her, and that therefore they were near the greatest source of turmoil to which her emotions could possibly be subjected. 

How can I fight her if he is with her? 

She shook her head, determined not to think about it for at least a few moments. 

The bus jolted to a stop, and she was forced to grab the headrest of the seat in front of her to keep from being tossed into the aisle. 

"This is our stop," said Rinoa. 

They filed off the bus and found themselves at the top of a small hill on the edge of town. Looking away from the city, Quistis could see a large house through a screen of trees. That's Caraway's, I suppose. 

She looked her question at Rinoa, who nodded. 

A sentry wearing the Galbadian uniform hailed them then, and Quistis stepped forward to identify her group. 

But the guard seemed to know who they were, for he began to speak without waiting for introductions. 

"General Caraway's mansion is right through this gate. 

"This way," the sentry beckoned, and they followed him through the gate to the mansion. 

Ten minutes later they were comfortably arranged around the General's living room. Rinoa and Zell sat on a couch together, Selphie gazed out the window, and Irvine rested with his feet up on a desk that was probably worth more than everything he owned. Quistis examined a cabinet of fine china and tried not to think of Squall. 

Instead she wondered about Rinoa's contract with Garden. How had the girl gotten such an unprecedented document? She wondered if Seifer's theory was in any way true. She still remembered his furious words in the Timber Owls's strategy room: "They're looking for a way to get rid of their most troublesome students. Me, definitely. Don't even pretend you disagree with the idea that I'm a problem, even more so now that I'm a SeeD. I don't follow rules, and that's a potential catastrophe on any mission. It was only chance I wasn't leading the Dollet exam; I would have done exactly what Squall did and you know it." 

But of course it hadn't been chance, she knew. 

"And don't even get me started on you," he had said. "You're almost as much a problem as I am." 

"Hardly," she'd protested. 

"Think about it," he'd said. "You know what I'm talking about. You're not exactly gold in Garden either, Trepe. But that's not the point. The point is they're trying to kill us off, I don't like it, and I want to know what you as captain are going to do about it." 

At that point, she had tried to mollify him. Surely he was seeing a conspiracy where there was none. Surely, even if something like that were true, Garden would not have sent two innocents along with them to their deaths. He'd quieted at last, but she knew he didn't really believe her. 

But now, facing a mission that seemed impossible-- destroying a sorceress-- she found herself reconsidering his words. 

She hadn't reached any useful conclusion when Selphie spoke. 

"What's taking so long?" 

Rinoa flung herself out of her seat. "He always does this. So discourteous. Making people wait. I'm gonna go complain." She stalked from the room. 

"What's up with her?" Selphie wanted to know. "This is her house, right?" 

Just a few moments later General Caraway entered the room. He was dressed soberly in a charcoal business suit, and his hair was mostly gray. 

"Where's Rinoa?" said Selphie. 

"She has not received the type of training you all have, and may become a burden. It's for the best that she stays out of this operation," he said. 

No one responded, and he smiled. "Well, then. Let's get on with the briefing." 

"I'm sure you know about the Galbadian government reaching an agreement with Sorceress Edea. There is going to be a ceremony tonight to commemorate the event. Follow me." He gestured at them and exited. The SeeD party followed. 

They left the mansion. Caraway crossed the street in front of it, unhurried, and they trekked along a pathway bisecting another public park toward the center of the city. 

They reached a large paved area in front of a huge mansion that was obviously the Presidential Residence. Caraway ambled to where the pavement met green grass and addressed them once more, spreading his arms. 

"It'll be held here. During the ceremony, you will split into two teams and get in position. The gateway team will enter the gateway," here he turned around and pointed at the huge arch in the center of the city, "and stand by." 

"The sniper team will stand by here until the ceremony is over. Once it ends, a parade for the sorceress will begin. That's when the gate to the Presidential Residence will open. Lay low until then; the parade will be cancelled if there is any commotion. We must avoid that at all cost." 

"Once the gate opens, the sniper team will move out. With the parade drawing the crowd and the guards's attention, it should be rather easy to enter the residence's grounds. 

"Once there, the sniper team will head for the roof of the residence. In the corridor by the sorceress's room, there is a hatch that leads to the clock tower. At the top of the tower is a carousel clock. You'll find the sniper rifle there. Then you will stand by until 2000 hours." 

"The parade will circle once around the city along the outer road and return to this space. At exactly 2000 hours, the parade will pass under the gateway. Here's where the gateway team comes into play. At 2000 hours the gateway team will operate the console to drop the gates. The sorceress will be trapped inside." 

"At the exact same moment, the carousel will rise, taking the sniper team with it. There will be no obstruction between the sniper team and the sorceress. Just take the open shot. That's all." 

"Who's going to be on the teams?" asked Zell. 

"The leader of this operation will command the sniper team. The leader's role is vital-- if the plan fails for some reason, or should the sniper miss, the leader will carry out a direct assault against the sorceress." 

Quistis started. She was the leader. If Irvine missed she'd have to lead the fight against the sorceress. And likely against Squall. She could almost feel the blood draining from her face. 

"...our ultimate goal is to eliminate the sorceress, and we must achieve this at all cost," he was saying. 

"So," he said. "Who's going to lead the mission?" 

Everyone turned and looked at her. She looked back at them for a stunned moment, and then blurted out, "Seifer is." 

Seifer blinked and looked as surprised as she had ever seen him. If she hadn't been under such strain, she probably would have laughed. 

"Fine," said Caraway, not seeming to notice their surprise. 

Seifer had already regained his composure. "Kinneas and I will make up the sniper team, obviously. The rest on the gateway team." He shot Quistis a look that immediately told her that he understood her motives. "Trepe will lead the gateway team." 

She resisted the urge to slump. I'll be out of combat. It will all be over and I'll never have to see him. Somehow the thought just made her more depressed. 

"That's all, then," said Caraway. "Now we wait. Feel free to check out the city. Just be back at my residence at 1700 hours. And stay out of trouble."

+

Rinoa shut the door to her father's bedroom behind her and gloated. He thought he could lock her in? He'd best think again. 

She restored the bobby pin she held in her hand to its rightful place in her pocket and raced down the hall, the object in her pocket jingling. 

She threw open the door to her father's study and surprised Quistis, Zell, and Selphie in conversation. 

"Finally got out of there! Did that man say anything?" 

Zell stared at her. "No, not really." 

"Where's Seifer?" she said, suddenly realizing that he was absent. 

"He and Irvine are already on standby. I'm sorry, Rinoa, but we really have to get going," said Quistis. 

"Hold on a sec," she said, excited, and drew an elaborate bronze bracelet out of her pocket. "Take a look at this! It's called an Odine Bangle. I found it in that man's room," she crowed. 

"Odine?" exclaimed Zell. 

"Whatcha gonna do with it?" Selphie asked. 

"It's supposed to suppress the sorceress's powers. But its effects are still unknown. So I don't think they're going to use it for this mission," she explained. 

"If it's Odine brand, it should be pretty effective!" Zell said, tapping his chin. "They're number one when it comes to magical goods." 

She grinned at him. "Right!" 

"It sounds like it might be useful," said Quistis slowly. "But Rinoa, we can't change plans now. This is so last minute there's not even a chance of changing the plan. The operation's already underway. I'm really sorry," she said, and left the room. 

Selphie and Zell gave her commiserating looks and followed their leader. 

Rinoa sat on the floor and hugged her knees. 

What if they get hurt? This could avoid bloodshed. It's a good idea, I know it is. And it would only take one person.

+

I hate crowds, Seifer thought as he was jostled for the third time by a woman in a large purple hat. He elbowed her back, hard, and gave her a sneer. But she ignored him. 

Just like the cowboy next to him was ignoring him. 

He knew he really shouldn't be annoyed, but he was bored and hot in his coat and even talking to Irvine was better than just standing there. 

As if in response to his wish, the other man spoke. 

"So like, is it true that SeeDs aren't supposed to question their mission?" 

Seifer gave him a sharp look. No, he can't have heard of me. That's too weird. 

"Yeah, that's true," he said, glad to be in conversation. "Because of contract law. But between you and me, sometimes we do anyway." 

"Like when?" 

"Like when the orders we're given are stupid. When there's a better way to complete the objective." 

The cowboy chewed on that for a moment. "But does it make you fight harder if you know your enemy is pure evil?" 

"Pure evil?" Seifer looked at Irvine askance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" 

Irvine seemed embarrassed. "I mean, if you know you're fighting for the right side, does it make it easier? Do you fight harder?" 

"If I was sure I was on the right side, I probably would," said Seifer, elbowing the purple-hat lady away again with a scowl. "I don't think most of us ever think about it." 

"But you do?" 

"I'm a problem child," he grinned. 

"Oh, I bet," said Irvine. He smiled as he turned to cast his gaze once more on the Presidential Residence.

+

Rinoa sat on the floor, still thinking hard, when the door opened behind her. She felt her back stiffen. 

"It'll be chaos soon," said a familiar voice. "You'll be safe here." 

She didn't answer. Soon she heard the click of the door closing, and she relaxed a bit. 

Then she bolted to her feet. He's going to lock me in! she thought, and sprinted for the door. It was still unlocked, and she opened it quietly, hoping her father was far away enough not to hear. 

Ten minutes later she was in the alley that ran behind the Presidential Residence. She eyed the crates stacked haphazardly there with trepidation. I'm not a SeeD, she thought as she began to climb, but I can do this. 

She teetered on the very top crate and managed to grasp the edge of the roof. She pulled herself up slowly and with effort. 

This is important. 

Rinoa stood with her hands planted on her knees for a few moments to catch her breath. She had to try. 

She crossed the roof and realized she would have to climb more crates. Carefully she put her foot on the first one. What if someone gets killed on this operation? 

She climbed up on top of another crate and saw that she might just be able to jump across to the flat roof of the next tower. What if Seifer gets killed, trying to fight her? 

Taking a deep breath, she jumped. And made it easily. She paused, surprised, and collected her thoughts. If I can find a way to stop her without anyone getting hurt, even her, I have to try it. It's my duty. 

She walked to the access door and opened it. 

The hallway she entered was cold and eerily silent. She shivered and reached into her pocket for the bracelet. She clutched it in one fist and walked toward the open door at the end of the corridor. 

Stepping inside the shadowy room, she saw that the sorceress was indeed present, sitting alone in a chair. At the edges of the room floor-to-ceiling drapes shifted in the night air. 

"Um, excuse me," she said, jumping at the sound of her own voice, which seemd much too loud. 

"I'm the daughter of Galbadian General's, I mean, Galbadian Army's General Caraway. He's my father, that is." She was trembling now, and the beads of the bracelet pressed uncomfortably into her palm. 

"I--I've come to pay my respects," she stuttered. "Because of my father and all, you know. So I've brought you a small gift." 

Her arm was shaking even harder than the rest of her, harder than the situation warranted, and she looked at it in surprise. To her shock, her hand suddenly pitched the bracelet into the gauzy depths of the curtains. 

And then she was hanging in the air, hanging onto nothing with her traitor hand. A small sound escaped her, and she knew she'd been stupid to come here. 

Then whatever had been holding her let go and she crashed to the floor.

+

"Here she comes," Irvine said, and then was drowned out by the roar of the crowd around him. 

Both men watched the podium. They had a good vantage point, and could see quite clearly the sorceress's face and the extravagant dress she wore. 

She's changed, thought Irvine. 

Then he grabbed Seifer's arm in surprise. Behind the sorceress another girl stood, swaying slowly. 

"That girl!" he shouted over the noise, and Seifer seemed to twitch under his hand. 

The other man's mouth shaped a word he could not hear, but he knew it was 'Rinoa'. 

"We have to help her!" Irvine yelled. 

But Seifer shook his head. "We can't yet! We make a move now and it's all over. She'll be all right for a little while." 

You hope, thought Irvine, but he understood where Seifer was coming from. 

The crowd's cheers and yells subsided, and the sorceress began to speak into the waiting silence. 

"Lowlifes," she said, her amplified voice dusky. The crowd roared its approval. 

"Shameless filthy wretches. How you celebrate my ascension with such joy. Hailing the very one whom you have condemned for generations. Have you no shame? What happened to the evil, ruthless sorceress from your fantasies? The cold-blooded tyrant that slaughtered countless men and destroyed many nations? Where is she now? She stands before your very eyes to become your new ruler." A small chuckle followed her speech and wormed its way into Irvine's ear, rendering the ecstatic screaming of the crowd silent. 

What's happened to her? he wondered, horror-struck. Are they listening to her? Why are they cheering? 

"A new era has begun," the sorceress purred. 

"Edea? Edea, are you all right?" Vinzer Deling's voice carried through the microphone, muzzy and confused. 

As quickly as a snake, the sorceress turned and flicked her hand at the president. He twitched, and dropped out of sight behind the podium. Coils of violet smoke rose from where he'd been standing. 

The sorceress turned back to the microphone. "This is reality. No one can help you. Sit back and enjoy the show." 

The crowd screamed and waved flags. Fireworks lit up the night sky. 

"Rest assured, you fools. Your time will come. This is only the beginning. Let us start a new reign of terror. I will let you live a fantasy beyond your imagination." 

The crowd roared and whistled, screamed and stamped feet. 

The sorceress turned away from the microphone and took a few steps. She turned her head and said over her shoulder, "Let us end this ceremony with a sacrifice." Her words made Irvine's insides curdle. 

And then she was gone. Irvine let go of Seifer and tried not to bolt. You coward, he said to himself. 

He glanced at the other man and saw two green flashes out of the corner of his eye. His gaze snapped back to the podium just in time to see two huge lizards leap at Rinoa. They knocked her down, but a few moments later she was up and backing though the ornate doorway. 

"She'll be fine for a bit. We have to wait!" Seifer yelled back. 

Irvine shook his head. "Aren't you her boyfriend? I can't believe this!

+

Quistis leaned against the wall in the gateway's small control room. 

Her fingers strayed to her mouth again, and she realized it only a moment before she began to nibble on a fingernail. 

Stop that, Quistis scolded, and folded her arms. She wondered how fast her heart was beating. It probably wasn't healthy to be this worked up. 

Calm down, she told herself. You're safe up here. He probably won't be with her on the float-- why would he be? And you'll never see the sorceress anyway. They'll come and fetch us after it's all over. You might have to wade through riots but that's the extent of the action you'll see tonight. 

She kept telling herself that, but as the red numbers on the clock grew closer and closer to the appointed hour, she found herself exerting more and more effort to keep from shaking. Her hands were clammy, and she swallowed convulsively. 

She closed her eyes and let her head tip back against the wall. 

A trickle of liquid dripped down the center of her back as she moved, chilling her, and for the first time in her life Quistis understood exactly what it meant to be in a cold sweat.

+

The sorceress's float was ornate enough to be almost offensive even to Seifer's nearly nonexistent ideas of modesty. 

Neon lights, torches, wings, something that looked suspiciously like a halo near the top, and what could only be a golden throne in the center of all the pomp. 

Not to mention the sorceress herself and her ridiculous headdress. And the exotically dressed dancers gyrating in front of the whole mess. And her bodygua-- 

Squall. 

Seifer ducked behind Irvine and slouched. He knew he stood out in a crowd-- he was one of the tallest people there-- and Squall knew him. He didn't want to be seen. 

"What are you--" Irvine began, half turning. 

"Just watch the float," he hissed. 

The people around them clapped and hooted, yelled and whistled, and he found himself wanting to whip Hyperion out and shut them up. 

And then the float was past, on its slow journey around the city. 

"Now's our chance," said Irvine. 

Seifer nodded, and they trotted across the street, which was already swarming with people, and through the gate of the Presidential Residence. They ran directly by a sleepy looking guard who took no notice of them at all. If he was mine I'd have him shot, Seifer thought. 

Once inside they paused. 

"Which way?" asked Irvine, and Seifer pointed around the side of the residence toward an alley. 

"We can get in there." Irvine didn't question him, which was good, and they moved off at a more hurried pace. 

Once in the alley they found they could ascend to the roof by means of a series of stacked crates. 

Seifer made the final leap onto the roof whose tower housed the podium from which the sorceress had given her speech, and yanked open the access door. 

He stopped, and Irvine plowed into him. They steadied themselves and he listened for sounds of battle. 

There. He made a sharp right turn and sprinted down the hallway toward the cry he'd heard. He skidded around a corner, Irvine almost on his heels, and found himself face to face with a large, ugly green lizard. 

He blinked, and its head exploded. 

"Bang," said Irvine unecessarily behind him. 

The other lizard bounded at him and he took its head off with one clean blow from Hyperion. 

Rinoa sat, dazed, on the other side of the corpses. He stepped over them and knelt by her. 

"Rinoa? Are you okay?" he asked. 

She stared at the ground, but that didn't stop him from noticing that she was crying. 

"I was scared," she whispered. 

He didn't know what to say. The lizards had been easily dispatched. He knew he had no chance of saying that it was understandable and sounding sincere at the same time, so he didn't say anything. 

"I couldn't do it. I just couldn't fight alone," she said in a small, ashamed voice. 

Seifer found himself irritated with her, and swallowed it. 

"It's all right," he said. "We're here." 

She looked up at him and he could see the tears standing in her eyes. 

"Do you think I'm a coward?" she asked, in the same tiny voice. 

He didn't answer her. "What were you doing up here?" he said instead. 

Rinoa looked down again. "I had an Odine bangle. I tried to stop her. Instead she stopped me." 

Seifer laughed loudly. "You're not a coward. You're an idiot." He held out his hand to help her up. "Come on, we need to get into position." 

"Just stay close," he said, realizing with an inner wince the double meaning of the phrase. 

She took his hand. 

From inside the carousel, the noise of the crowd below was much reduced. Seifer was glad. 

Rinoa sat quietly on a ledge away from the front of the carousel, examining her toes. He and Irvine knelt at the front of the carousel, Seifer watching the crowd, Irvine panning the scope of the sniper rifle back and forth across Deling City. 

After a while, the cowboy turned around and sat on the floor, back against the ledge he had recently been balancing the rifle on. 

Seifer glanced at him, surprised at the other man's quietness. 

The look on his face alarmed him. 

"What's wrong?" he demanded. 

Irvine refused to meet his eyes; instead he watched his fingers play along the barrel of the rifle. 

"I can't do it," he said in a low voice, too quiet for anyone but Seifer to hear.

+

"Quistis!" 

Zell's shout made her gasp. Her eyes flew open and she stared wildly at him. 

"What?" she managed to croak. 

"It's time! Hit the switch! She's gotta be right under us by now!" He bounced in place, excited out of all proportion. 

Of course, I'm nervous out of all proportion, so it hardly matters. 

She walked over to the control panel and paused. If I wait for just another minute-- 

"C'mon! What're you doing?" 

I have to do it! She shook her head, gritted her teeth, and slammed her hand down on the switch.

+

"What do you mean, you can't do it?" spat the man next to him. 

Irvine shook his head. You have no idea, Seifer. You don't even know who she is. If you knew, could you still do it? 

"I always freeze like this," he lied, hoping that the words tumbling out of his mouth sounded the way he meant them to-- cowardly, juvenile. He was no rookie, but by God he hoped he sounded like one. "I try to act cool, joke around, but I just can't handle the pressure." 

He could feel Seifer staring at him. 

"You're lying," the other man said. 

Irvine looked up at him with a calculated expression of surprise. 

"I've never shot a living human being." He looked back down at the rifle. 

Seifer laughed. "Just shoot." 

"I can't," Irvine said, knowing it was true. 

"Just shoot. You don't even have to aim at her." 

Irvine looked up with real surprise. Seifer grinned at him. 

"I practically want you to miss," he said, and Irvine suddenly wondered if Seifer remembered more than he let on. 

"Why?" he asked. 

"Because Squall is down there with her. Your miss is all the excuse I need to go down there and kill him. I've been dying to do it for years." Seifer's grin was disturbingly cheerful. 

Irvine goggled at him. "You don't even want me to aim?" 

At that point the lights came on and he felt the carousel begin to rise. Eerie carnival music began to blare out of invisible speakers. 

"I don't care if you aim or not, Kinneas. Just shoot the goddamned gun right now before I decide to kill you and do it myself." 

Irvine stared at him for a few more moments. Then he turned, balanced the rifle once more on the ledge, looked through the scope, and fired. 

Oh my God! he realized a moment later. He tricked me! 

Frantically he watched the target. He knew that he did some of his best shooting when he wasn't thinking about it. He could feel in his bones that his aim had been dead center. 

He watched Edea, certain that she would crumple any moment. 

Instead, he nearly fainted with consternation and relief when she held out her hand and the bullet became visible, hanging in the air before her like a tame hummingbird. 

Then she looked up over the city and directly into the scope. 

Irvine dropped the rifle.

+

Seifer smiled and clapped a hand on Irvine's shoulder. "Thanks." 

Irvine looked up at him. Seifer laughed out loud at the expression on his face. 

"I'm going now. Take care of her," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. 

And then he was over the side, Hyperion in his hands, yelling at the top of his lungs. 

He landed right in the middle of a riot. God, I love this, he thought, slashing left and right. 

Seifer saw just what he needed-- a car with the keys in the ignition, just sitting there waiting to be taken. He bounded to it and hopped inside, tossing his gunblade on the passenger seat. 

Quickly he turned on the ignition and flipped the lights. Gotta be a safe driver, he thought, and hit the gas. 

The tires squealed madly and he took off down the main throughway toward the gateway, not even bothering to watch for people in the road. 

At the last possible second he hit the brakes and yanked the steering wheel around. The car slammed into the gates sideways at a slightly reduced speed, and he got out, not even scratched. 

Seifer pushed his hair back and stepped through the bars, Hyperion at the ready. 

The sorceress was no longer seated, but he hardly noticed. Squall interested him much more, and there he was standing right in front of him with his gunblade out, ready to be attacked. 

"Well, this is how it turned out," he said. "Lapdog to an evil sorceress. How prestigious." 

Squall didn't reply. He just held out his hand and beckoned. 

"Not talkative today, I see." He assumed a sarcastic pout, but obligingly rushed the smaller man. 

The impact of metal on metal had always thrilled Seifer. But there was something so much more exciting about facing an opponent who was nearly his equal. He couldn't remember ever having been so ready for battle. 

We'll see who's better, he thought as he tested the other's strokes. 

They'd fought each other so many times before that he almost felt comfortable. But of course, this wasn't training. It was real. Life or death, he thought as he parried an overhand stroke. 

They settled into the dance, and the parrying and thrusting seemed to go on forever. As it went on, Seifer felt a battle-grin spread itself more and more tightly across his face. Dodge and spin, arm this way, foot here-- 

He stumbled a bit as Squall's gunblade failed to appear where he expected it. By instinct, he jumped back, and realized that Squall was on the ground. 

What? he thought, confused, and then saw Irvine step up beside him, rifle in hand. 

Seifer let his sword arm drop, and took a closer look at Squall. 

"You shot him in the leg?" 

Irvine looked sheepish. 

"And I cast sleep on him," announced Rinoa, appearing on his other side. 

"Hmph," he said. "You guys are no fun." 

The sorceress interrupted their conversation. Seifer had almost forgotten she was there. 

"SeeDs. Planted in a run down Garden." Her voice flowed like honey over them, and they turned toward her. 

"Impudent SeeDs," she crooned, and the first thunder spell broke over them. 

It turned out to be a very different sort of battle-- much more unnerving. For one thing, her expression was so utterly blank, even when she was hit, that Seifer felt like they were fighting a mannequin. For another, the sorceress never came near them, just threw spell after spell at them. Any physical attack they made hit because she didn't bother to avoid them, although Seifer suspected there was a spell protecting her physically, as his gunblade seemed to twist in his hand and hit with the flat of the blade, which of course was not his intent, almost every time he attacked. 

At one point an ice spell she cast rebounded into her face, and for the first time she reacted to a blow: she blinked. Seifer glanced over to see Rinoa's exultant grin. 

After a while, her spells came slower. They attacked her at an even more frenzied pace, and eventually she stopped casting altogether. 

Or so they thought. 

After a particularly vicious smack from the flat of Seifer's gunblade, she raised one hand above her head, palm up, and her eyes began to glow golden. 

He could hear Rinoa chanting something next to him, but he was more interested in the icicles growing in the air above the sorceress's hand. He'd never seen any similar magic, and he was fairly sure he didn't want to be on the receiving end. 

Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice. The sorceress gestured, and suddenly the ice spears were no longer hanging in the air above her. 

Seifer frowned, wondering where they'd gone to, when he heard his gunblade clatter to the floor. 

He looked down, and was surprised to see nearly a foot of ice extending from his chest. 

Then the world grew dim. The last thing he heard as his knees gave way was Rinoa's scream.

+

"There really wasn't need for three of us on an easy mission like this," Selphie said. 

Easy for you, maybe, thought Quistis. 

She stood by the ladder, too worked up to even lean against the wall, and tried to wipe the sweat off her forehead. It didn't help. If anything, her nervousness had increased after the gates had fallen. They couldn't hear what was going on below and it was driving her absolutely insane. 

She thought if she had to stay up here in this small room with these unconcerned, eager SeeDs burbling at each other for much longer, she would go right out of her mind. 

What the hell is happening down there? she wondered for perhaps the thousandth time since the gates had dropped fifteen minutes earlier. 

"Hey Quistis, are you okay?" Zell began. "You look kinda--" 

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air and silenced him. 

Quistis stood trembling in the aftershock of the chilling sound. 

"Was that the sorceress?" Selphie asked, hesitant. 

"No," Quistis said. "That was Rinoa." 

She grabbed the sides of the ladder and slid down without hesitation. Her hands were so wet that she went a lot faster than she'd expected-- although not as fast as she would have liked-- and she hit the concrete below with a yelp. 

Once her feet recovered, she flew to the door and threw it open. 

She slipped through the bars and tried to take in the whole scene before her in an instant. 

She immediately spotted Seifer, Rinoa, and Irvine. Seifer was laid out flat on the ground, a spear of what looked like ice protruding from his chest. The others knelt by him, glowing a magenta color she remembered very well from the TV station in Timber. 

Frozen, she thought, and looked around for the source. 

She saw the sorceress, just standing there, watching Quistis with her strange golden eyes. 

But then her attention was caught by the person who lay as if dead at the sorceress's feet. 

Her hand flew to her mouth. He lay in a slowly growing pool of blood. 

"Squall," she tried to say, but her lips would only form the shape of his name. 

Then he sat up, grimacing in pain. 

All she could do was watch him. She knew she should be trying to help Seifer and the others, she knew that. But she was completely transfixed by Squall's white face. 

He looked around, and then he saw her. 

"Quisty?" he said, sounding surprised. 

Her heart stopped. 

"What are you doing here?" he asked, still sounding like she was the last person he would have expected. 

She had no idea what might come out of her mouth, but she tried anyway. 

"I--" 

Squall tried to get up, not seeming to realize that a good part of his thigh was missing until he tried to put weight on it. 

"Damn," he muttered as his face became a shade whiter. 

The paralysis that had seemed to hold her broke. Instead of being unable to move, she was now unable to stop herself. She rushed to his side and slung his arm over her shoulder. 

"Careful. You've got a bullet wound in your thigh," she warned, and wondered exactly what the hell she was doing. 

"Oh," he said, and she realized he was only half conscious. Quistis quickly muttered the first curative spell she happened to remember, and he straightened a bit. 

Squall turned his head a bit to look at her, and his gaze was sharp. Obviously, the spell had worked. 

She flushed and looked away. For so long she'd wanted to be this close to him, their faces only inches away. She took a breath. 

"Squall, do you remember what you said to me in the Training Centre?" 

"Yes," he said. 

"I think you were right." Quistis said. 

She thought of the years she had spent training, getting up before everyone else to run those extra miles, the late hours spent in the Training Centre taking down Grats, and the free moments in between during which she had pored over tactics texts and world history tomes. She thought of the satisfaction of making SeeD on her fifteenth birthday, after aching to take the exam for six underage months. She remembered the exhaltant feeling she'd had when she'd won her instructor's license. She remembered junctioning her first Guardian Force. 

And she remembered the look on Squall's face as he told her no one cared for her, remembered standing at his side as a Garden Faculty member dismissed Dollet's need and said they should have been more generous. She saw the embarrassed look on Cid's face as another faculty member told her she had no leadership skills. 

She'd thrown it all away a few moments ago, just for the look on Squall's face and a nickname she had no idea if she'd ever heard before. 

Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she was happier than she could ever remember being in her entire life. 


	5. D District

* * *

**D-DISTRICT**

* * *

_"So, how'd I look in my moment of triumph? My childhood dream, fulfilled. I've become the sorceress's knight." -- Seifer Almasy_

The drapes in the sorceress's room billowed in the wafting night air and in the dimness were ghostly waterfalls. Squall stared at the night sky through the open doors that looked over Deling City's main square and saw that dawn would soon arrive. There was no glow to the east yet, but the darkness of the night had faded into a telling gray half-light. 

The Presidential Residence was silent and nearly empty. The residing G-Army officers had vacated the premises hours ago with General Caraway, and only sleeping house staff remained. The sorceress seated at his side made no sound, mask drawn over her face, unmoving. Even the chirping of crickets to which he had been accustomed to during his years at rural Balamb Garden was absent. The entire city was asleep, except for the new Commander in Chief of the Galbadia Republic Army. 

He tried to think of the last time he had slept, but failed. It had been quite some time, but he wasn't sure how much. It had been a long day, but had it been so long that it had begun at the diner in Timber? He tried to think back. This evening had been the parade. He had lost consciousness during the capture of SeeD assassins-- his former comrades-- but passing out wasn't the same as sleeping. He had acted as Edea's bodyguard that day as preparations were made for the evening festivities. Had he slept the night before? He didn't know. 

It didn't matter, anyway. He felt alert as ever, ready for any trouble. At the moment he waited for Caraway to return from his assignment. And, of course, watched over the silent sorceress beside him. He did not know what she did, whether it be sleep or spell, but that didn't really matter either. He would protect her. He would protect the body of the sorceress who had once protected and watched over him, and he would guard the sad, determined woman now inhabiting that body. 

Caraway would be returning at any moment from Galbadia Garden, he knew, unless something had gone wrong. He doubted there would have been any problems. Caraway had a reputation for excellence, even if he was a traitor. His loyalty to Edea might be lacking, but there was no questioning his competence or his course of action. Squall had seen the pain written across his face earlier when he had woken him at his mansion and told him his daughter was being held in D-District. 

Squall had planned to lead the attack on G-Garden, but the wound in his leg had incapacitated him for just long enough that he was forced to look for other leadership, and Caraway, strangely, had been the most trustworthy General he had under his command, if only because he had him firmly under his thumb. 

He shifted his weight to the injured leg, probing for any pain. Edea had bound it in a slow healing spell, and he had immediately been able to stand on it, but there had been pain. That pain was absent now, and he wondered what the flesh underneath would look like, and whether there would be any sign of the fist-sized hole that had once adorned his thigh. 

The room was cold as well as dark and quiet, and Squall's eyes drifted shut. He tried to doze, and to think not of the work ahead of him, but of the results of that work. 

He could see it so clearly in his head. Families not torn apart by war. Children playing in front of houses, mothers and fathers watching over them who would never abandon them to don armor and die on bloody battlefields. Children who would learn about science and literature and art and whatever it was normal children learned, taught and nurtured by parents who loved them, not learning the arts of war from guardians who only cared that they would later fight or die for them. Children who would never grow up like him. 

Perhaps even his own life would be livable. After things were in place the sorceress would be satisfied and return to live in her own time-- if that could be done. He remembered what she had told him, that in her time Garden was a rampaging monster, trampling the lives of those who threatened it, and she would destroy it even if it cost her her own existence. 

Whatever path the sorceress's fate took, he would be able to retire afterward. The whole world would be united, and he could turn control over it to someone else and never be forced to grip his gunblade again. He could live in a little house on some deserted shore, and never see a living soul if he didn't choose to. 

Perhaps he would even live in the orphanage in Centra. Surely it still stood. He didn't remember much, even after Edea had told him of his early childhood, but he remembered the lighthouse, and the stone steps leading down to the beach. He could sit on those steps in the evenings and watch the sunset. 

He could almost taste that sunset, smell the ocean. Clouds painted orange and red and the purple of kings. The salt blowing in the air, the sand between his toes, gritty and real. 

The shuffling of feet alerted him and he opened his eyes to a room glowing golden red with sunrise. The drapery in the room caught the light almost like clouds, and he wanted to sigh. 

"What's our status?" he said. 

General Caraway was a military man in every sense of the word. His salute was as crisp as the crease in his pants, his uniform perfect down to the shine on his shoes. Every clasp glowed with all the effort personal servants could provide. Or perhaps he even cared for it himself, although Squall doubted it. The only flaws in the man's presentation were the dark circles under his eyes, but they were certainly understandable. First the failure of the attempt on Edea's life-- Squall was nearly certain Caraway was behind it-- and then the blow of being told his daughter was a prisoner. And then, of course, the call to perform a major military endeavor with half an army and no notice. It would give anyone puffy eyes. Not that Squall cared how Caraway was feeling. With what he suspected, he deserved every shred of punishment he got. 

"Galbadia Garden is clear, sir." If the man slurred the title in his head, Squall couldn't tell. But then, Caraway was too smart to antagonize him. 

"The students?" 

"Under guard in the dormitories, sir." 

"Casualties?" 

Caraway shook his head. "None. Martine rolled over, just as you predicted. He and the Garden Faculty have already been transported to D-District." 

"Good. Gather the students at 0900 hours in the main assembly hall. I'll speak to them then." 

"Yes, sir. Anything else?" 

"Yes. Get a tech crew in the Headmaster's office at G-Garden. Have them rewire everything. I want video links set up in addition to the usual. Then send them here, and don't bother to bug the President's office-- this will be your command when things are settled at G-Garden." 

Caraway didn't even blink. "Yes, sir. Will you require transport?" 

"No. But arrange an escort for General Trepe. She will join us at G-Garden at her convenience." Squall paused to let this sink in. "Any questions?" 

"No, sir." 

Squall saluted. Caraway returned it and left. 

He turned back toward the open doors. He'd sleep tomorrow night, when they were safely ensconced in G-Garden. Now he would watch the day brighten. 

The morning's red sky had faded to hard blue when the sorceresss spoke. 

"What is SeeD?" she said. He hadn't heard her move and her soft words fell on his ears like thunder. 

"SeeD. Special military forces. Mercenaries." 

"There is more." 

"Then I don't know. I'm not a SeeD." 

At last she moved, a quiet shifting in her seat. "Quistis was. Ask her." 

He nodded. "What are your plans for her?" he asked. 

"She will search for Ellone." 

"Ellone," he echoed. He had his own questions for Ellone. 

"You will help her, but you will have other duties that will require most of your time." 

"I see," he said, and there was silence. 

"Have you ever been to Centra?" said the sorceress. 

Squall shook his head, wondering at the subject change. "I've read about it. There's not much there any more. The Lunar Cry destroyed it-- it's supposed to be a desert." 

"It is a wasteland." 

He said nothing. 

"My entire world is a wasteland. SeeD has destroyed it." He could see it in his mind. The vision was clear, but not bright. Empty towns, dull orange sky, dry hot wind. 

"And I have destroyed SeeD. Black and white both. It made no difference." 

She moved again, and he could feel her gaze on him like the touch of a hand. "I have seen her 

_(GO!)_

in the black, directing the SeeD army, winning." Then her hand did touch him, delicate fingers slid the glove down his own; he could almost hear it falling to the floor. 

She held his hand and the wind blew his hair back and he could see her too, screaming into the megaphone, gloved finger pointing furiously, hair askew. SeeD swarmed where she directed, and the blue fell. The cool hand holding his trembled and released him as he joined them in their fall. 

He stared out the open doors and over the waking city, eyes half closed, idle thoughts chasing each other in circles but not seeming to have any impact or direction. The cool wind touched him again, and one thought in particular crystallized, sprang into being from the back of his mind and he pushed it away, frowning. 

"No," he tried to say. It was wrong, he had no interest in her, he wouldn't use anyone in such a way, for any purpose. 

He saw bleached bones, drunken SeeDs skewering a small child. Hot desert wind blew over him. 

"She must not stray," whispered the sorceress. 

Blood spattered on cracked pavement. 

"That's not my way," he tried again. His voice wasn't working. 

He saw a family picnicing in a green park, the children scurrying around their parents, shrieking with laughter. Then they were just shrieking. They were scoured into ashes as Balamb Garden wheeled past in the reddening sky. 

He could feel the sorceress's despair, sharp and aching in his head. 

And he did see, then. What were his feelings of personal integrity set against the lives of innocent people? What did it matter if he didn't love her? She wouldn't know, and he could make her happy. It would be the ultimate selfishness not to do it. 

His decision made, his resolve set in stone, he rose from his knees and dusted them with two gloved hands. 

"She won't," he whispered.

+

Zell clawed his way out of dreams and opened his eyes. 

"Ugh," he said, and promptly closed them. He'd seen a glimpse of his surroundings and thought perhaps he wasn't awake yet. 

"Zell?" Selphie's voice sounded tense. 

Disappointed, he realized he wasn't dreaming. 

He sat up and looked around. A prison cell. Metal walls, metal floors. One toilet. 

"What's going on?" he asked. He had the headache of the century, and winced as his questing fingers found a tender bump on the back of his head. He tried to think back and figure out what was happening, but his last memory was of Quistis hitting that switch in the gateway, and it did him little good. 

"This is the D-District prison in Galbadia," said Rinoa in a low voice. She was seated on the floor next to an unconscious Seifer Almasy. He lay with his head pillowed on his coat, pale, breathing shallowly, face wiped clean of all scowls. 

Zell stood up, suddenly alarmed, and hurried over. "Is he okay? What happened?" 

"We're not really sure," said Rinoa. "The last time I saw him, he-- he had a foot long spear of ice sticking out of his chest." 

"Jeez!" said Zell. "The sorceress?" 

"Yeah," said Irvine. 

"He looks pretty okay for somebody who just got impaled," Zell remarked, and reached down to check Seifer's pulse. 

"Don't even think about it, Dincht," growled the man on the floor. 

Zell grinned, and there was a soft chorus of exclamations from everyone else. Seifer sat up and twisted around to pick up his coat. 

He shook it out and frowned. "Who bunched up my coat? These wrinkles are never going to come out." 

Rinoa laughed at his joke, weak as it was, but to Zell her laugh sounded forced and shaky. Uncomfortable silence fell. 

"Uh," said Zell, hoping to change the subject. "Where's Quistis?" 

Irvine and Rinoa glanced at each other. 

"She defected," Irvine finally said. 

"Huh?" 

"Zell, she switched sides. Joined the sorceress," Rinoa explained. 

He was flabbergasted. "But, why?" 

Seifer laughed. "She's in love with Leonhart." 

"Oh," said Zell. He suddenly remembered the way she had acted in the gateway, her nervousness, and her reluctance to lead the sniper team. "Oh." 

"Yeah," said Seifer. "But don't worry, it's a small loss. We're better off without her, trust me." 

"So now what?" asked Selphie. 

Seifer shrugged. "We escape." 

"But we don't have any weapons," said Rinoa. 

"Zell doesn't need--" began Seifer, but the door to the cell opened before he could finish what he was going to say. 

Squall Leonhart walked in, frowning, escorted by six guards and a short man with many insignia on the breast of his uniform. 

"Have they caused any problems, Warden?" he asked. Zell saw Rinoa clamp a hand on Seifer's arm, who shook his head at her. 

"No, sir," said the short man. 

"Good. I want them split up within the hour. Make sure they're comfortable. No torture," he said, looking at the warden with distaste, "or I'll have your head." 

"Yes, sir," said the Warden, grimacing. 

"And be careful of that one," said Squall, stabbing a gloved finger at Zell. "He doesn't need a gunblade to break your neck." 

"Now," said Squall, turning to the prisoners. "Miss Heartilly. The Sorceress Edea has pardoned you for your attempt on the late President Deling's life. However, your role in last night's debacle has proved you just as criminal as these SeeDs. You will not be executed, only held here until such time as I see fit to release all of you. 

"You will not be mistreated, and with any luck, SeeD will be no more before the day is out. Galbadia Garden is ours, and its students have mostly joined us. I have offered the students of Trabia Garden the same terms I offered those of G-Garden, although the building itself will be destroyed later today. Balamb Garden, however, will get no quarter. It is the home of SeeD." 

"If all goes well, a year or two of hard work on our part will unite the world in peace under the sorceress, and you will all be released on probation. Miss Heartilly, your father sends his love." 

Squall turned to the Warden. "I will require transport to the Missile Base." 

He nodded to the prisoners and was gone, along with his escorts. 

"Right," said Seifer. "Next time they open that door there's going to be a lot of them. I don't think you can take on twenty guards, Dincht." 

Zell frowned. "Not on an empty stomach," he said.. 

"We'll have to get them to open the door sooner, that's all," said Selphie. "I bet if one of you tells them there's something wrong with me or Rinoa, they'll open it to check out what's going on." 

"Yeah, that sounds good," said Seifer. "Dincht, when they open the door, show them what you've got. We'll take their weapons, then find our own stuff and get the hell out of here." 

"Let's wait a bit," said Irvine. "I'd rather Squall wasn't around." 

"I'd rather he was," said Seifer. "Because I'm going to kill him." 

He paused. "But yeah, that'll be kind of hard without Hyperion. We'll wait."

+

Zell watched Irvine pound on the door. "Hey! There's something wrong with Rinoa!" He punched the door again, harder. "Ow," he muttered. Then, at a louder volume, "Is there anyone out there? C'mon, we've got a problem here!" 

The door split and slid aside as they had hoped and two guards appeared in the doorway. 

Irvine gestured to Rinoa, who lay on the floor with eyes closed, shuddering. "I think she's having a seizure!" 

The guards stepped into the room, and Zell slipped behind them. 

It was over in two perfectly aimed blows. The guards lay spread-eagle on the floor, unconscious, and Zell grinned across them at the others. Selphie and Irvine grinned back. 

Seifer nodded and stepped over their prone bodies. He bent to pluck an automatic weapon from a limp hand. 

"We'll be right back," he said, and they stepped out into the empty corridor. 

"But where do we start looking?" he added, gazing around at the metal walls. 

Zell looked around, thinking. "Um, there's a storage unit a couple of floors up. There, I bet." 

Seifer frowned. "How do you know that?" 

"Um," said Zell. "I had a dream. You remember the train to Timber? Like that. But Ward was working, well, here. As a janitor." 

"The guy's name was Laguna, right?" 

"Uh, yeah." Zell paused to put two and two together. "Seifer, did you have a dre--?" 

"Let's go." His tone was cold, warning against further questions. 

He shrugged and followed the other man up the stairs. He'd had the dreams, three times now. Selphie had had them. And now Seifer had had one. He wondered what they meant. 

Seifer's voice, subdued for once, interrupted his musing. "Look." 

He obeyed, and saw two guards several yards away, backs turned. Seifer gestured and they crept up behind them, unheard. 

"So these are SeeD weapons," the first said. "Nunchaku, shotgun, hey-- is this a gunblade?" The soldier picked it up and gave it a few experimental swipes. "I've heard of these, but I've never seen one." 

Zell glanced at Seifer, whose lips had faded into a hard line, and missed the soldier's head exploding in a fountain of gore. 

"That's _my_ gunblade." 

The other soldier turned, but not fast enough; by the time he got halfway around, Seifer had already snatched Hyperion from the dead soldier's grasp. He rose from his stoop slicing, and grabbed the soldier's wrist to prevent him from falling backward from the blow. He gave a yank as he brought the gunblade back around and neatly impaled the man. There was a muffled thud as he pulled the trigger; blood and various bits spattered both of them liberally. 

Zell blinked. Then he looked down. 

"Man, I liked this shirt," he complained. 

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Come on." 

They ran back down the stairs and entered their cell. Zell tossed Selphie, Irvine, and Rinoa their weapons one by one. 

"Let's get out of here," said Seifer. 

"Do we go up or down?" Selphie asked. 

"Up," said Irvine. "This prison is buried underground." 

"Then let's go," Seifer said. 

They crowded into the corridor, where Seifer pointed the way to the stairs. 

"Yay, we're escaping!" crowed Selphie. 

They ran, and had climbed several levels before the alarms went off. 

_"Warning! Escapee alert! Monsters will be set loose on each floor. If escapees refuse to surrender, you have permission to kill. The anti-magic field will be lifted."_

When they reached the next landing they came face to face with a formidable number of guards. The two groups stopped and stared at each other for a moment. 

"Hi!" said Selphie, and then Irvine's shotgun blast took the head off the nearest guard. 

Zell rushed forward with the others and soon lost himself in the confusion of battle. He stopped thinking and let his body do the work, looking only for the blue uniforms, his targets. At one point, he fell back as a bullet punched into his arm, and he landed ungracefully on his backside. He looked up at the soldier standing over him, braced himself on his good arm, and delivered a solid kick to the soldier's groin. He fell without making a sound. Then he felt the chill of a healing spell, and the bullet worked itself out his arm and bounced with a clink on the metal floor. He stood up and leaned over the soldier writhing on the ground in front of him. 

"Sorry," he said. "That wasn't very sportsman-like, was it?" He extended a hand to the man, and surprisingly, he accepted it. He pulled him to his feet, panting, and said, "But I really liked this shirt, damn you." He used his momentum to swing his free fist into the man's face and then let him drop. 

He looked around, rubbing his knuckles, and discovered that the fight was over. He found the rest of them standing in a circle around Selphie. He joined them just as Seifer offered her a hand and said, "You're fine. C'mon, get up, we need to go." He pulled her up and Zell saw streaks of tears on her face, and streaks of blood on her leg. 

They ran again, not encountering much more than a soldier or two on their way, simple fights with five of them, and eventually got to a room with a real ceiling. Another set of stairs waited for them, and they climbed them, ready for trouble. 

But nothing awaited them in the next room except for the light of day through another door. 

"Finally," muttered Zell as he followed the others up the last set of stairs. 

The dry, hot wind hit him with a force he hadn't been expecting. He squinted and nearly stumbled into Irvine before catching his balance. 

"What the heck?" He opened his eyes and nearly fell back through the door. "I thought you said this place was buried underground!" 

They stood on a platform perhaps two hundred feet above the ground. A fierce wind plucking at their clothes, seeking to draw them over the edge. From the platform a narrow catwalk extended its reach toward another tower as tall as the one they stood on. 

"I thought so too," murmured Seifer. 

"I think," said Irvine, "that this structure has a burrowing mechanism. Looks like the towers are just big screws, doesn't it?" 

"Yeah, it does," said Seifer. He turned away from the catwalk and scrutinized the area. "That side looks different. Let's cross." 

Zell eyed the ground. I'd really rather not, he thought, even as he followed Rinoa onto the slim metal bridge. 

The wind was even worse without the tower to shield them. Zell held tight to the rails and stared at the back of Rinoa's head. 

Once they were away from the shelter of the tower, the wind picked up pace, screaming in their ears and driving grit into their faces. Zell tried to shield his eyes with his hands but it didn't work. He was forced to spend most of the crossing squinting and hoping the wind wouldn't throw them off the catwalk. 

Then the wind eased, and he looked up to find the tower very close. He stepped onto the platform at the end of the bridge with relief. 

At that moment there was an earth-shattering squeal and he nearly fell as the platform began to shake. He whipped around and saw two things at once. The tower they had left a few minutes before was spinning slowly, grinding itself into the ground. 

And Seifer was still on the bridge. He heard Rinoa's gasp and took a step forward, but Irvine yanked him back by his collar and pointed at the bridge. 

Zell took a second look and saw that the slats that made up the floor of the bridge had loosened themselves and were sliding toward the platforms. By the time he started to worry for Seifer's well being, their leader had already leapt to the dubious safety of the platform. 

"Get back," he said. They fled into the cargo bay off the new platform. Zell ran between two army vehicles and pressed himself against the back wall of the bay. He could feel the whole structure shaking with the violence of the transformation, and when he glanced to his right, Selphie met his gaze with wide eyes. 

"C'mon!" Seifer growled, and Zell turned his attention back to the doorway where Seifer was applying his fist to a square control panel. "Close, already!" He gave the wall a good kick with the business end of a steel-toed boot and their ears were assailed by the high-pitched groaning of the cargo bay doors closing. 

"Somebody needs to oil those," Zell muttered, and then the wind died completely and they were in darkness. He kept his eyes open, but it did him no good. 

After what seemed like an eternity in darkness, the vibrations stopped and he could suddenly hear his heartbeat pounding in his head. 

"Now, open," said Seifer, sounding irritable. 

Obediently, the squealing sound returned, and with it, dusty air and the light of day. 

Zell saw at once that they were on the same level as the ground, and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips. 

"Yes!" shouted Selphie. "We're out! Let's hotwire these trucks and get out of here!" 

"Or we can use these keys," said Rinoa, smiling and dangling two sets of keys from dirty fingers. 

"Let's just go before someone finds us," said Zell. 

"I wanna ride in the yellow one!" Selphie snatched a set of keys from Rinoa's outstretched hand and made for the truck of her choice. 

Irvine followed her with a wink. Zell snorted. 

"Have her stop when we're far enough away. We need to make plans," said Seifer. He nodded and followed Irvine and Selpie into the yellow vehicle.

+

"Hey Selphie," Irvine heard from the back seat. "Are we far enough away? Seifer wants us to stop so we can plan what to do next." 

He glanced at the petite girl in the driver's seat. She had pulled the seat all the way forward so that she could reach the pedals, and still her toes barely touched them. It would have been adorable if she had been wearing her usual sunny smile, but she was not. He felt the twinge in his chest and looked away, aware that he was more concerned for her than the situation probably called for. 

He let a silent sigh slip through his lips and settled back into his seat, chewing the inside of his cheek. 

"Fine," she said. "We'll stop here." 

Her statement was accompanied by the squealing of tires. The seatbelt bit painfully into Irvine's chest, resulting in a nipped tongue. He looked over at Selphie with wide eyes but she was no longer in the car. 

"I think my nose is bleeding," Zell said resentfully. 

"Should've been wearing your seat belt," he muttered and opened the car door. 

He looked around for Selphie and discovered that she had climbed on top of a small hill. He joined her, grimacing at the heat and dust. 

From this vantage point he could see quite a distance across the flat desert. He shaded his eyes and found what Selphie was looking at. Perhaps ten miles away, what he had to assume was the Galbadian Missile Base shimmered through the heat. 

He turned and saw that Rinoa and Seifer had just emerged from their own vehicle. They drew close to the hill Selphie and Irvine stood on, shaded their eyes and looked toward the Missile Base. 

Selphie broke the silence. "We have to stop the missile launch." 

"But what about Garden? We need to warn them too!" said Zell. 

"We've got five people," said Rinoa. "One of us can go to Garden-- how many people does it really take? The rest of us can go to the Missile Base." 

"Too risky," said Seifer. "One person might not make it." 

"Yes," said Rinoa. "But the Missile Base, I just don't know. Four people probably won't be enough." 

"Listen," said Selphie. "There are Galbadian military uniforms in the back of our truck. Three of them. If we sneak in like that, we won't need many people. I bet we could just do it with two." 

"So three to the base and two to Garden," said Seifer. 

"Look," whispered Rinoa. 

Irvine turned. 

From this distance, he could only see three streaks of fire painting their way across the sky, but he knew what it meant. 

"Trabia," cried Selphie. She turned away from the Missile Base, and Irvine saw the rage on her face. 

"I'm going to the Missile Base!" she said. "Who's coming with me?" Her emerald glare touched him and then flickered across the others. 

"I'm going," he said. 

"So am I," said Rinoa and Zell at once. 

"No, you aren't." Seifer said to Rinoa. "You haven't gotten the training they have. You'd be a liability." 

Rinoa looked furious. "That's not--" 

"Yes," Seifer interrupted. "It is. You're coming with me to Garden, and that's final." 

Rinoa opened her mouth. 

"No arguments," snapped Seifer. "Zell, go with Selphie and Irvine. Do what you can to stop the launch against B-Garden. If you get the chance, blow the whole place up. We'll warn Garden. Good luck, and be careful." 

He took Rinoa's arm. She looked mutinous but allowed him to lead her back to their car. 

"Let's get going," said Selphie.

+

"Ugh. This uniform is stinky." 

Irvine resisted the temptation to turn around and see what he could see. But he knew if he did Selphie would maim him, perhaps inflicting permanent damage. So he stayed put in his seat and looked straight ahead until she was done changing. 

"Ugh," she said again, and climbed back into the driver's seat. "I can't believe they wear these!" 

She started the car, stomping madly on the gas pedal, and threw it into gear. Irvine winced. 

"I'm guessing we just drive in," she said when they reached the gates to the base. They drove through the gates and another appeared before them. These, however, were closed. 

A bored-looking guard extracted himself from his booth and walked over to their car. He peered inside, and Irvine felt a flutter of nervousness. The walls around them were concrete, solid, and he had a feeling the gates behind them could crash closed and trap them there. 

"All right," the guard called through the window. "Go on through." 

"Really?" muttered Selphie. "Cool." 

The gates opened and they drove through into a quite ordinary parking lot, full of vehicles that looked identical to the one they rode in. Selphie parked and they got out. 

A voice blared from loudspeakers mounted on the parking lot lights. "Following the launch on Trabia Garden, prepare for the launch on Balamb Garden. All personnel, take your positions." 

"When the hell is launch time?" Zell asked. 

"It doesn't matter," said Selphie. "We have to stop the missiles and that's all there is to it. If there's a door, we go in! If there's something we can break, we break it! And in the end we'll blow this place to smithereens!" 

"I like your attitude, Selphie," laughed Irvine. 

She hopped in place a bit and then they followed her to the entrance. There were no guards in sight. The door slid aside for them and they came to a small room with only two doors. 

"It's locked!" she said once she had examined it. "Insert ID card? But I don't have one!" 

Irvine felt his pockets and drew out a card. 

"Try this, I found it in my uniform." 

She slid the card through the reader and crowed. "Access granted! Woo-hoo!" 

The door slid aside for them and when they went through they found themselves on a walkway. Safety bars edged it and prevented falls to the conveyor belts passing parts below. 

"Look, there's a guard," hissed Zell. 

"Just act normal," muttered Selphie. "We don't want to fight until we have to." 

They did so, and passed the guard without mishap before following the catwalk to a lower level, where they came to a platform and halted. To their right was a room guarded by one soldier, another catwalk, also guarded, and a control panel nestled in the corner. 

"This way," said Selphie, and walked behind the stairs, away from the guards. They followed her and nearly ran into two more soldiers scribbling in notebooks. 

"Hey," mumbled the first soldier. "Whatcha want? We're busy right now." 

"Oh!" said the second. "Isn't it about time to inspect the circuit room?" 

"We're not done here yet," responded the first guard, still scribbling. 

"We're doing the real thing today, we'll never find enough time to do it." 

"Gah," muttered the first guard, and turned to them. "Can you guys deliver a message for us?" 

"Sure," said Selphie. 

"Go tell the guys in the Missile Launch room to go ahead and we'll catch up with them later." 

"Okay." 

"Thanks very much," he said. "We appreciate it." 

"No problem!" said Selphie. 

They walked back around the stairs and Selphie stopped. "Let's go back up." 

Irvine wondered what her plan was, but followed her up the stairs. 

She strode up to the guard. 

"The maintenance team asked us to take their place. We're here to inspect the circuit room." 

"Really?" said the guard. "Then I guess my shift is over. I'm gonna go call my relief, go ahead with the inspection." 

He walked off, and Selphie gave them a thumbs up. 

The circuit room was exactly what Irvine expected it to be. Digital monitors showed the status of the power supply to the base, and control panels ringed the room. A glass wall showed the main generator, glowing white as it fed the base with electricity. 

"Well, let's get wrecking." Irvine didn't have to see Selphie to know she was grinning. 

They set to smashing the control panels, doing as much damage as they could, and shortly after that the generator went dark and the lights failed. 

Selphie's bubbly laugh echoed in the room. 

"You're scary, you know," said Zell. He sounded grumpy. 

Somewhere, a backup generator kicked in and the emergency lights flickered on, red and gloomy. 

"Let's get out of here. It would look bad if we were found," he suggested. 

"All right," said Selphie. "Next!" 

They ran out of the room and skidded into the real maintenance team. 

"Hey! What's going on here?" 

"We were just coming to get you! The power failed! Come on!" Selphie ran back into the room with the maintenance soldiers hot on her heels. Irvine nodded to Zell and they went after them. 

As soon as the door closed behind them Irvine and Zell gave each of the soldiers a good hard blow to the back of the head. They dropped, and Selphie stepped over the unconscious bodies and squeezed each of their arms before exiting once again through the door. 

This time when they reached the bottom of the stairs a soldier was waiting for them. 

"The power's down and we need help with this last launcher. Can you help?" 

"Yes, sir," said Selphie, and the followed them into the missile room. A launcher was sitting only a few feet away from its spot in the floor, and three soldiers pushed on it with little effect. The three of them joined in, pushing as hard as they could, and finally the soldier overseeing the placement of the missile waved at them to stop. 

They stood back and watched as the enormous block clicked into place and sank into the floor. 

"Okay," said the officer. "Good work. All we need to do now is confirm the coordinates on the control panel. The program should be ready to go. You guys get on it." 

"Yes, sir," said Selphie, and they left. 

"Sounds like this is what we want," said Irvine, examining the control panel in the corner. 

"Yeah," said Selphie. "So do we bust it up or just try to mess with the program?" 

"There's a guard right over there," said Zell. "And besides, we don't want to launch the missiles ourselves by mistake. Let's just mess with it." 

Selphie swiped the ID card in the reader. 

"Looks like I don't have access to change the coordinates," she said. 

"But you can change the error ratio here," said Zell, pointing. "This isn't very advanced technology. I bet if you maximize the error ratio the missiles will miss." 

"Okay," she said a few moments later. "Now what?" 

"Looks like you have to upload the coordinates to the main computer," said Irvine. 

"Done. I think that's the best we can do with this. What I want to know is who pushes the launch button, where to find him, and how best to kick his ass." 

"Probably somebody upstairs," said Irvine. 

"And these guys all look like wimps," Zell added. 

Selphie led them over to the guard on the opposite staircase. He saw them coming and waved them away. "This is a restricted area." 

"We need to report on the missile coordinates," Selphie protested. 

"Oh. All right then, go on through." He stepped aside and they climbed the stairs into yet another control room. Two soldiers manned the control panels and an officer in a red uniform watched over them. 

"All systems go!" said one of the soldiers. 

"Everything's all set, sir," said the other. 

An officer in a red uniform joined the first soldier at the control panel, held a button down, and spoke into a microphone. "Attention. This is the control room. We are now entering the final phase of the missile launch. Take your designated positions and prepare for the launch." 

He released the button and finally noticed them. "What are you doing here?" 

They saluted. "We're here to report on the missile coordinates, sir," Selphie informed him. 

The officer stood still for a moment. Then he drew his weapon. "Don't move. That salute you did was all wrong." 

"Blind them," whispered Selphie, and Irvine stepped forward with Zell. All three of them shouted the same word at once and the officer and his soldiers winced and started tugging their helmets off. 

Selphie took the opportunity to strip off the uniform she was wearing, revealing her yellow jumper underneath. 

"Finally," she said. "These uniforms are itchy and they stink." 

She twirled her nunchaku experimentally and then gave the officer a good hard blow to the head, knocking him out. 

"Sleep," Irvine murmured to the soldiers, and they obediently slumped to the floor. 

Selphie ran to the main control panel and hit a single button. 

"Okay, I just canceled the launch. Now to find the self-destruct mechanism." 

Irvine examined the panel at the back of the room. "Not here," he said. 

"Or here." 

"Or here," said Selphie. "Damn." She gave the soldier nearest her a frustrated kick. He rolled over and began to snore. 

"Maybe in here?" Zell called as he disappeared into the next room. "Yeah! It's in here!" 

Selphie ran to join him and Irvine followed. 

"How long should I give us to get out?" she said. 

Irvine shrugged. "Ten minutes?" 

"Sounds good." 

_"Self-destruct mechanism operating. Ten minutes until destruction. All staff evacuate the base immediately. I repeat..." _

"Woo!" said Selphie. "Now let's get out of here!" 

They ran back through the control room, not giving the fallen soldiers a second glance, and nearly fell down the metal stairs in their haste to reach the platform below. Soldiers ran for the stairs on the other side, ignoring them, and they reached the outside door with no mishaps. 

Less than five minutes had elapsed. "I guess we didn't really need ten minutes," Selphie said excitedly. 

As they walked to their vehicle Irvine noticed movement through the chain link fence to their left. Three launchers unfolded themselves from the ground and pointed at the sky. They fired in quick succession and this time Irvine saw the missiles, twelve steel lozenges that streaked their way into the distance, northeast, toward Balamb. 

"What happened?" Selphie yelled. 

"Someone must have reactivated the launch sequence!" he yelled back as Zell was caught in a cloud of smoke from the launchers and went into a fit of coughing. 

"That's right!" called a voice behind them. "And now we're going to take care of you!" 

Irvine turned and they faced an immense gleaming tank, twice the size of the tanks the regular Galbadian Army used. Probably twice as dangerous, too, thought Irvine, noting that it lacked a cannon. 

"That's quite a piece of machinery," said Zell, and then light exploded from where the cannon normally would have been and knocked him over. 

"Not very nice," said Selphie. "Wish I had a rocket launcher." 

Irvine briefly considered just letting Zell stay knocked out for the remainder of the fight, but then decided that the tank's beam cannon was probably a little too dangerous. He waved a hand toward Zell and clean white light showered over him. Zell sneezed and pulled himself to his feet just as Selphie sprang forward with a flick of her wrist and a grin on her face. A lightning bolt came from nowhere and struck the hatch on top of the tank. He recoiled at the unexpected crack of thunder. 

His ears had only just stopped ringing when the hatch flew open and the officer from the control room and his soldiers scrambled to get out and slide to the ground. 

"Hot, hot, hot!" one of them yelled. 

"That piece of crap!" snarled their captain. 

"What do we do now?" said the second soldier. "The MRV needs repairs." 

"Fix it later," said the captain. "We need to take care of them first." 

"Good luck with that," he heard to his right. Zell stepped forward and Irvine's world dissolved into the sound of far-off thunder. 

I'll never get used to that, he thought when the thunder faded and the world reformed before his eyes. He had never had contact with Guardian Forces before accepting the assignment to assassinate the sorceress, and he found that he had trouble both controlling them and recovering from the shock of losing his body, even for just a few moments. Zell, however, seemed to revel in it. Even as Irvine looked he bounced on the balls of his feet, hair standing even more on end than it normally did. 

As for the soldiers, no trace remained of them. He didn't know whether they had fled before Quezacotl's attack or were simply vaporized, but he found he didn't really care either way. 

He looked around and noticed the sudden quietness. Before, soldiers had fled the base, on foot or gunning the ugly yellow trucks. Now, there were no more trucks and no more soldiers, and he turned, only to discover that the heavy metal gates leading to the outside world were closed. 

"We're locked in." Selphie's horrified whisper seemed to float on the still air.

+

The sunset streamed though the glass windows, transforming everything it touched into scarlet splendor. The room in which the Galbadia Republic Army's newest general slept was magnificent even in ordinary light, but this sunset polished the mahogany furniture and the curious walls of Galbadia Garden into spectacular lustre. 

Quistis Trepe opened her eyes. Her rise from sleep had been perfect and painless, not brought about by any jarring alarm or telephone, but simply because she was fully rested, the first time this had happened in months. 

I fell asleep again, she thought. She looked at the mottled ceiling for a moment, fingers still comfortably laced on her stomach. Then she sat up and picked up the heavy book she had been skimming, a tome of Galbadian law, and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. 

She got to her feet and padded to the window, wanting to watch the rest of the sunset. She stood there, one hand running the smooth material of the drapes through her fingers, thinking of nothing much, until the sun's light had descended into twilight. Then she turned and tied the terrycloth bathrobe she was still wearing from her earlier shower more firmly around her, and wondered what to do next. 

She surveyed the room that had once been Martine's. Someone had been in to clean while she was sleeping, and had been so quiet that she had not been awakened. 

The clothes she remembered throwing on the bathroom floor earlier were now clean and folded neatly on the immense dresser. Someone had coiled her whip-- it rested on top of her skirt. She crossed the immense rug covering most of the floor and saw that there were more clothes than those she had brought with her. She touched the new clothing, starkly black next to her more colorful attire, and realized it was a uniform. She picked it up then, and the folded sleeves fell away and showed her five silver bars on left shoulder, and one solitary golden medallion, stitched carefully underneath to tell whoever saw it that she had won-- the Golden Heart? 

It's not like I saved his life. I wonder what it means. 

She folded the uniform again and gave it a final pat. 

Her pack was where she had left it on the nightstand. All my earthly possessions, she thought, amused. She opened it, not expecting to find more than the usual jumble of potions and gil, and saw a brass gleam. She pulled out an old fashioned lamp, and stared at it. Where had this come from? 

She thought back over the last two days and eventually remembered wanting to ask Cid a question after he gave them the briefing on the Timber mission. Instead of giving her an answer-- she had not even gotten the opportunity to ask her question-- he had given her this. 

Why give me a lamp? she wondered. 

She polished it with a corner of her bathrobe, remembering some old tale, but nothing happened. I guess it's worthless after all, she thought. 

She set it on the nightstand and stood, intending to get dressed. She frowned, and looked back at the lamp. It looked exactly as she had left it. She turned away and heard a leathery rustle behind her. She whirled, suddenly alarmed. 

The lamp was still in its place on the nightstand, but as she watched black smoke began to seep out of it. She took a step back, and the smoke drifted toward her, lazy, and utterly dark. 

Maybe rubbing that lamp had been a bad idea. 

She backed up some more, until she was pressed against the wall, and watched as an inky tendril reached for her. She had nowhere else to go, and as it touched her hand she felt a silent thunderclap in her mind and fell to her knees, eyes shut tight, waiting for a blow. 

But nothing happened. 

She opened her eyes and found herself in another place entirely. Where, she had no idea. She stood on featureless earth, underneath a roiling violet nighttime sky. 

What is this? she wondered. 

She heard that leathery sound again, and looked for the source. All at once the sky was full of bats. They were countless, and flew every which way in utter silence except for the sound of their wings. 

Then they began to circle her, spiraling closer and closer to her until she was forced to duck. She threw her arm over her face, expecting to be attacked, but suddenly the sound of wings beating vanished. 

She stood up again and looked around, feeling foolish. Several yards away a winged creature hovered. Its wings were enormous and black, and as they beat she felt cool air wash over her. Its flesh was red, and its eyes yellow. It's a demon, she thought, and realized that her whip was still back in her room. 

"Who dares disturb my rest?" it growled, and looked at her. 

No, she thought. It's a Guardian Force. A wild one. If I can defeat it-- 

Her thought was cut short as the creature rushed her. She stepped to the side just in time, and felt the wind of its passage. She turned to face it and it hung in the air as before, apparently not in too much of a hurry to destroy her. 

I have no weapon, she thought, irritated. And I'm wearing a _bathrobe_. 

Quistis cast her mind toward it, hoping it carried some magic she might steal and turn against it. She had just sensed that the creature carried some very dark magic indeed when it decided to rush her again. This time she was forced to roll out of the way. She rolled to her feet and closed her eyes, hoping she would have time to finish what she was starting before it attacked her again. 

She found the magic she had sensed before and pulled with her mind as she had been trained. The spell came to her easily, and she opened her mouth, not knowing what was going to come out. 

"Demi," she said, and a massive black orb appeared over the Guardian Force and fell, slowly enveloping the creature in blackness. Then the orb was gone and the creature flinched. 

She pulled again. "Demi." 

And again. "Demi." This time the creature roared, an amplified sound that echoed in her ears. 

She pulled one more time, hard, and saw that it was rushing her once again. "Demi!" she yelled, and tried to dodge. 

She wasn't fast enough. A dark wing came at her and hit her on the side of the head, making her ears ring, and she fell. She looked up and saw a huge taloned hand reaching for her. She pulled her leg up and kicked it in the stomach with one bare foot, and to her surprise the Guardian Force exploded into a thousand bats. They flew up into the sky and were gone. 

She blinked and suddenly she was back on the floor in her room. She crawled to the bed and pulled herself up. She grimaced. Her head hurt where the creature's wing had landed, and she raised her hand to assess the damage. 

_I am Diablos,_ a voice said in her mind. _And I am yours. _

Her hand fell back into her lap. It spoke to me, she thought in wonder. I've never heard of a Guardian Force talking. 

She opened her mouth to ask a question, any question, to see if it would answer her but she was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

"Come in," she said, irritated. 

The door opened and Squall Leonhart stepped inside. At the sight of him, she forgot all about Diablos. He was covered in blood-- his white shirt was red with it, it was spattered across his face, and she thought she saw it gleaming blackly in his hair. 

She flew to her feet. "What happened to you? Are you all right?" 

He looked at her, puzzled. Then he followed her gaze and looked down at himself. 

"Oh," he said. "It's not mine." 

He rubbed his forehead, smearing the blood there into a wide swath. 

"Well," he said, gazing at his bloody hand. "There are some things I need to talk to you about, but I think I need to take a shower first." 

"All right." 

But he just stood there. "Squall?" she said. 

"I just remembered," he said. "I don't have quarters here yet." He looked at her and his expression was that of faint embarrassment. "It's been a really long day." 

She smiled at him. "I can see that. You want to use mine?" 

"Thanks," he said, walked over to her nightstand, and picked up the telephone. "This is Commander Leonhart," he said after a moment. "I'm in General Trepe's quarters. We need some food. Yes. I'm also going to need some quarters. Bring me the key when you come up." He paused, listening. "Yes, tell him just to leave them with General Trepe. Thank you." He hung up. 

Then he went to her dresser. "Did they move Martine's things out?" he asked over his shoulder. 

"I don't think so," she said, bemused. 

He opened a drawer, rummaged through it for a moment, and came up with a pair of red flannel pajama bottoms and an old green t-shirt. He seemed to find these satisfactory, for he nodded to her and disappeared into the bathroom with them. Soon after that she heard the sound of running water. 

Quistis flopped onto her back on the bed. Squall is taking a shower in my bathroom, she thought. This is so weird. 

A few minutes later there was a tap at the door. 

She turned her head minutely and called, "Come in." 

A fresh-faced young officer entered, pushing a cart of food before him. He closed the door behind him and saluted. 

"I'm not in uniform," she reminded him. 

He glanced at her attire and blushed. "Sorry, sir. I brought you some food." He glanced toward the bathroom. 

Quistis smiled and sat up. The officer was the same one who had escorted her here from Deling City. A nice, slightly nervous young man called Evans.. 

"Are you Squall's aide?" she asked him. 

"Yes, sir." 

Before she could say anything else, Squall emerged from the bathroom. He wore the pajama bottoms and was vigorously towelling his hair. Quistis caught herself looking at his bare torso and glanced away, hoping Evans hadn't noticed. 

But the aide was standing at attention, looking in Squall's direction. 

Squall waved a hand at him and tossed the towel back into the bathroom. "Key?" 

"Yes, sir." Evans handed him a plastic card and removed a large envelope from the cart. "Your room is two doors down, sir. And here are the reports you asked for." 

"Thank you, Evans," Squall said, and opened the envelope. 

"Sir, General Hoskins wants to know how soon you want him in Deling City." 

"Tell him he can go tomorrow. The situation will hold until then-- Caraway's men know what to do. He can get settled in-- I won't have any orders for him until late tomorrow at least. You can go now." 

"Yes, sir." Evans saluted and was gone. 

Squall scanned the papers he held in his hands for a few moments, and shook his head. He tossed them onto the bureau and padded barefoot to the cart. He lifted a silver lid off a silver plate and inclined his head toward her. 

She nodded, realizing just then that she hadn't eaten since the day before. He handed her the plate and a bundle of silverware wrapped in a cloth napkin, then took his own plate and retreated to the desk. 

Galbadia Garden's cook was talented, Quistis decided after a few bites of mutton. The only times she'd had food this good were when Garden had hosted catered events. Or perhaps hunger made the food taste better 

They ate in silence. After cleaning her plate, she went to pour water from a silver carafe and discovered that it was not water but wine. Don't drink much of this, she told herself. 

She held the goblet cupped in her hands and watched him eat. His back was to her and she looked her fill, knowing that he wouldn't know. Probably even if he had known he wouldn't care, she decided. He certainly hadn't bothered to put on the shirt he had picked out. 

I don't understand the change, she thought, looking at the long muscles of his back. Before he wouldn't even talk to me. Now he's eating at my desk, half naked. 

There was a quiet click as he put his fork down, and then he stood and put his plate back on the cart. He poured some wine and disappeared into the bathroom. 

"So what's the situation in Deling City?" she called over her shoulder. 

"General Caraway was murdered two hours ago," he said as he emerged from the bathroom, tugging the green shirt over his head. "It's causing problems and solving others, I suppose. I'm sending Hoskins in to replace him. But he's not well-liked, and he's not as competent as Caraway was. I'd send you but I need you for something else." 

"You know Caraway was a traitor, right? He orchestrated the whole assassination attempt against Edea." 

"Yeah, I know. That's the problem it solved." He stood on the other side of her bed and took a sip of wine. "Do you mind? I've been on my feet for three days." 

"Go right ahead," she said, marvelling as he set his wine glass on the nightstand, stretched out on the other side of the bed, laced his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. 

"He was under control as far as I was concerned. I had his daughter in D-District. But the SeeDs who were with you escaped along with her." 

"They escaped?" 

Squall grimaced. "Yeah. And they took out the Missile Base. There's nothing there now except a crater. The launch against Trabia Garden was a success, and the people who survived the explosion at the base confirmed that there was a second launch. I won't know until tomorrow whether B-Garden was destroyed or not." 

Quistis probed her feelings, wondering how she felt about her childhood home being demolished, and found she felt nothing much. She had done her best, and Squall had been right. No one there had ever cared for her. They had brought her up to be a killer, and when they found that she was not as good at teaching other children to be killers, they had scorned her. If anything, she felt that justice had been served. 

"What's my assignment?" she asked. 

"First I have to ask you a question," he said. "And then I have to give you some answers," he stopped. "That will probably just raise more questions." He opened his eyes to look at her, and a ghost of a smile played around his mouth. 

She stared at him. She'd never seen him smile. 

"You were a SeeD, and I never was. So I don't know. What is the purpose of SeeD?" 

"SeeDs are special military forces," she said, confused. "Elite troops. When a SeeD turns nineteen, Garden helps them find work suitable to their skills. I'm not really sure what you're asking," she confessed. 

"Neither am I. Edea says SeeD has special meaning, and she told me to ask you." 

"I wish I knew something." 

"When I withdrew, Cid said something about the destiny of Garden," he said. "I didn't ask him about it. Too angry." 

She shrugged. "So there is something. But we don't know what, and they aren't telling the SeeDs either. What did you do with Martine? Maybe he knows something." 

Squall shook his head. "He's in D-District. One of those reports was his interrogation record. He knows nothing." 

"I've heard bad things about D-District," she said. "Even if he did confess something I wouldn't count it as reliable." 

He looked at her, frowning. 

"Martine wasn't tortured. The Warden responsible for that is dead-- some of that blood on my shirt is his." He grimaced. "He had Torture Room painted on the floor in front of a chamber that was used for just that." 

"Are you cleaning up the military?" 

"I'm trying. It will be slow work, though. I have to root out who's trustworthy and who isn't. And after that decide who's competent enough to do the things we have to do to make Edea's vision reality." 

"Her vision?" 

That odd half-smile was on his lips again. "Peace." 

"Sorry I couldn't help," she said. 

"Don't worry. I didn't expect you to be able to. At least now I understand the question." He looked at her. "So. What do you remember about your childhood?" 

She frowned, confused at the sudden change in topic. "Not a lot," she said. "Guardian Forces have wiped most of those memories away. The little I remember makes me glad." 

"I was orphaned by the Sorceress War, and was adopted by the Trepes. There were-- problems. I wasn't happy, and they weren't happy with me either. I don't actually remember what happened there. But to Garden I went. And then I moved up, and yesterday I moved out." 

"There is," and here he exhaled deeply, "a lot more. And you need to know it if you're going to accomplish the task I'm going to assign you." 

He took a breath and began telling her the story of her childhood.

+

When Squall stopped speaking, she couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. 

"All of them?" she finally asked. "You're sure?" 

"Yes. I'm sure. I remember." 

"What does it mean?" Her flesh broke out in goosebumps as she suddenly got the feeling that something huge was setting them up like pieces on a chessboard. 

"I don't know, but I think the sorceress does. She wants you to search for Ellone. And," he said, "so do I." 

She looked at him, and still felt the power of that massive coincidence, and a memory came back, that of a boy standing in the rain, and she felt her eyes fill with tears as she understood more clearly why she felt the way about Squall that she did. 

"Yes," she said. "I will." She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Do you have any idea where I should start looking?" 

But Squall didn't answer her. "Are you aware that you're bleeding?" 

"Bleeding?" She stared at him, confused. 

He sat up, reached across the bed, and touched a spot right underneath her ear, the place where her jaw met her neck. Then he turned the finger that had touched her so she could see. There was blood, sticky and dark. 

"What happened?" 

She remembered her encounter with Diablos. "Oh. See that lamp?" She pointed to the nightstand. "I rubbed it and a demon came out." 

The expression on his face made her laugh. "I'm kidding. There was a Guardian Force inside. It got me over the head with a wing." 

"Did you defeat it?" 

"Yeah. And this is strange-- it spoke to me after. It told me its name, and said it was mine." 

"I've never head of one doing that." 

"Me either. But I'm not about to argue with it." 

"I wouldn't if I were you," he said. "Let me see that." He leaned forward and lifted her hair up. Now that she was paying attention, she realized that it did hurt a bit. She tried not to cringe. 

"Why didn't you say something?" 

"I forgot," she said. 

He brought his other hand around and steadied her jaw. "Try to relax. I'm going to heal it." 

His murmur was quiet, and she saw the green sparks fall just as the chill raced down the left side of her body. She forced herself to relax, trying not to jump as her entire body tingled. 

"One more," he said, and there were more sparks. This one left her trembling, and the fingers touching her were all she could think of. Hand to hand healing was a lot stronger than that given halfway across a battlefield. And more personal. She swallowed, closed her eyes, and tried to ignore the side effects. 

He removed his hands from her and she was suddenly so self-conscious that she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. If something were to happen, it would happen now. All those para-soldier romance novels said so. She tried to think of what she would do if nothing happened. 

And suddenly she tasted fear. Fear and desire and a bleak hopelessness. She knew exactly what she would do. She would follow him around the world forever, a faithful dog, ignored and unloved, and be grateful that she could even be near him. 

She lifted her chin, marveling at her own cowardice and bravery, and opened her eyes. 

"I bet you're tired," she smiled at him. "We can talk about where to look for Ellone tomorrow." She hoped that her voice was smooth enough to mask the misery she felt. I don't know why it matters if he sees, she thought. He's not stupid enough to not realize why I left. 

"Yes, I'm tired," he said, and the vague quality of his voice caused her to take a second look at him. 

His expression was completely unlike any she had seen him wear before. She was used to looks of irritation, contempt, and boredom, but she had never seen this intent look before, and did not know how to classify it. 

"I never realized," he said in that same vague voice, looking at her with that same odd expression and she felt her heartbeat begin to race. 

He reached over and picked up her hand. She stared at him in surprise, and then she understood. He leaned in and kissed her. Goosebumps rose all over her body. 

She closed her eyes and felt a tear slip down her cheek as the realization that she was getting her heart's fondest, most desperate wish hit home. So many times she had thought of this moment, how it would feel to be so close to him, to taste his breath. 

He pulled away from her and gave her a look so speculative that she felt a thrill run through her entire body. Then he lay back, still holding her hand, and drew her down with him. She pillowed her head on his shoulder and let her arm rest across his chest. He curled his arm around her and they stayed that way, in silence, until he murmured a word and the light bulb in the lamp on the nightstand flared blue and exploded. 

Quistis listened to the sound of glass shards striking the wood of the nightstand, and the sound of Squall's breath coming slower and deeper as he drew nearer to sleep, and thought she would never fall asleep. 

But eventually she did. And somewhere in time, a sorceress looked up from her empty lap and smiled. 


	6. Fisherman's Horizon

* * *

**FISHERMAN'S HORIZON**

* * *

_"What a night. Great music, good-looking guy. Not only is he good-looking, he's the sweetest guy, a great listener. Right now, he's seriously thinking about what I said. He's shy and doesn't say anything, but I know." -- Rinoa Heartilly_

"Put your seatbelt on," Seifer said. His words were the first spoken since they had left the D-District of Galbadia on a passenger train. She had been giving him her own special silent treatment for his refusal to allow her to join Selphie on their trip to the missile base and he liked that just fine. But he was a fast driver under normal circumstances and these were not. He planned to redefine reckless driving in the five miles between Balamb and B-Garden and he didn't particularly feel like listening to any complaining, although the possibility that she might get injured was not exactly an unpleasant one. 

Rinoa sat silent in the passenger seat and did not move. 

"Put it on," he said. 

She folded her arms and looked out the window. 

_Always with the bullshit._

Seifer pursed his lips and decided he didn't care if she got hurt. He threw the car into gear, wishing that the rental agency had had an offroad vehicle to offer him. This sedan wasn't going to take much cross-country driving. But hopefully it could at least attain some speed. He stomped on the gas pedal and the back tires screamed and left black tracks on the asphalt behind them as they tore out of Balamb. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rinoa struggling to latch her seatbelt, but the sight didn't satisfy him as it might have in earlier days. He didn't care about winning with her anymore. He just wished she would go away. 

"I don't understand you, anyway!" she yelled over the sound of the wind tearing through the open windows, forgetting her silent treatment. "What do you care if Garden gets blown up? I thought you hated the place!" 

He didn't answer her, although it was a valid question. Garden hadn't treated him as well as it might have, passing grades or no. True, he had had some good times there. He was the head of the Disciplinary Committee, and the other two members of the DC were his best friends. They had some power over the rest of the students, which was nice, but it had come from the Garden Faculty, which was not so nice. He hated those bastards, with their slimy smiles and condescending voices. They offered him petty control over others, but did they really think he didn't understand that the position they gave him was little more than worthless? Did they really think he would be that easily satisfied? He understood power and even wanted it, but he wanted it on his own terms. 

He was certain that most of the other students, even the SeeDs, were unaware that the Garden Faculty was truly in charge of Garden, not the Headmaster or his administration. It was true that Cid was a decent and kind man but he was also a fool. 

Seifer couldn't even really say that he wanted to save Garden purely because of the lives at stake. He'd seen enough death that when it happened it was not a big deal, and he honestly thought that the world wouldn't really be a better or worse place if it were missing some of his fellow cadets and peers. He knew this was probably not a healthy worldview, but he didn't care. He just didn't place the same value on human life that other people did. Perhaps he had been raised badly. He wouldn't have been surprised, considering the incompetence and corruption of the people who administered the system in which he had grown up. 

What it really came down to, he knew, was Squall. He just didn't want Squall to win. If Squall wanted to destroy Garden, Seifer would do everything and anything in his power to stop him. If Squall wanted to outlaw cakes, Seifer knew he would find himself in Timber with that woman, what was her name, wielding icing spatulas into the wee hours of the night and planning underground bake sales. 

He was fully aware that he was somewhat irrational when it came to Squall Leonhart. It wasn't even that he hated him. He wasn't sure what it was. In weaker moments he thought that it might be that he saw a lot of himself in Squall, only Squall didn't seem to have his flaws: ambition, temper, and the tendency to think he was better than everyone else around him. 

They both drew people to them. People admired Seifer and were eager for his approval. But people respected Squall. And that bastard didn't do anything Seifer could understand to get them to feel that way. In fact, he acted as if he'd rather have everyone just go away so he could be alone. Seifer didn't understand Squall's attitude and it infuriated him past all reasoning. 

"Well, it looks okay," Rinoa shouted. 

He took his eyes off the road and looked. Garden did look okay, gleaming peaceful and blue in the afternoon sunlight. 

"Missiles may still be coming," he said as he pulled up the front gates and parked illegally. "I need to report." 

Rinoa got out when he did and they walked through the main gates together. As they ascended the three low curving steps that led to the outer court Seifer stopped. People were running everywhere, scurrying from place to place. Some of them looked almost panicked, others enraged. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Seifer said, surprised. A few feet away a Garden Faculty member stood, shouting randomly to the people running by him. 

"Find the headmaster! Seize him! Kill him if you have to!" the man yelled, shaking fists hidden in the folds of his maroon robe. He turned and saw Seifer and Rinoa. "Are you for Cid or the Garden Master?" he demanded. 

"The Garden Master," said Seifer, who wasn't a fool. 

"All right," said the man, glaring. "Go find Cid. Members of his faction are protecting him. Kill them if they interfere." 

"Yes, sir," said Seifer, and turned away. "Let's go," he said to Rinoa. 

They ran toward the next set of stairs that led to the inner court. 

"What's going on?" asked Rinoa. She sounded frightened. 

"How should I know? Something crazy." He thought he did know, actually, but he wasn't going to share that information with Rinoa. If he played it right, this could be a big opportunity for him. Provided they could find the headmaster. 

They ran through the inner court and through the passthrough gates into the Garden proper. There was no one attending the gates, which was the most telling sign of chaos. Someone always manned the passthroughs. The people running with them and against them paid them no attention. Confusion reigned, and Seifer was glad. They could get a lot done as long as matters stayed disorganized. 

As they approached the Directory, he spotted Raijin and Fujin. They saw him too, and Raijin cracked a huge relieved smile. The glint in Fujin's eye told Seifer she also was pleased to see him. 

"Boss! You're back!" Raijin shouted. 

"Of course I am," Seifer grinned at them. "What's going on?" 

"Not sure. At first they were talking about rounding all the SeeDs up, ya know? Now everyone's either siding with the headmaster or the Garden Master. Fighting everywhere." 

"Disturbing," Fujin agreed. 

"Why SeeDs? And where's the headmaster?" 

Raijin shrugged. "I dunno." 

"I need to see him. This place might be about to blow sky high." 

"We'll help you look," said Raijin. "We'll get the library and the Training Centre and the parking lot and meet you at the dormitories?" 

"Sounds good," said Seifer. 

"Caution," Fujin said to him, and then she and Raijin trotted toward the library. 

Seifer looked at Rinoa. She seemed nervous; her gaze flicked from person to person among the passersby. Well, nervous or not, she could at least watch his back. He drew Hyperion. "Come on. Let's get to the infirmary." 

She nodded and they left the Directory. They were unmolested until they actually stepped into the infirmary hall. There another Garden Faculty member barred their path, but his back was to them. At his side stood two students in cadet uniforms, and in front of them, ready for battle, were two SeeDs. 

Seifer solved the confrontation by sinking the tip of his gunblade into the back of the Garden Faculty member's neck. "Get out of here," he told the shocked cadets. "Missiles are coming." They were too stunned by their leader's sudden death to argue, and fled. Seifer wondered if they'd even heard what he had said. 

The SeeDs saluted him, and Dr. Kadowaki approached. 

"Doctor, we're looking for Cid. Do you know where he is?" asked Seifer. 

"Well, he's not here," she answered. "Xu might know. Why are you looking for him?" 

"Galbadian missiles may be coming this way. I need to tell him. And you need to get out of here." 

"Are you serious?" she said, looking concerned. "Then I definitely have to stay. We can't have missiles without a doctor." 

Seifer shrugged and left, Rinoa following him. He grimaced at the possibility that he would have to go through Xu to get to the headmaster. She loathed and mistrusted Seifer, and he hadn't even done anything to her. That he could remember. 

They checked the Quad but the SeeDs there didn't know anything either. At the cafeteria he dispatched another Garden Faculty member, and the SeeDs holding the cafeteria for Cid told him that Xu had come up with a plan to make the Faculty think Cid was in several different places. 

Great, he thought, frowning. It was definitely going to take some smooth talking to get past Xu. If he could find her. 

They met up with Raijin and Fujin as planned at the barracks. Raijin's staff was bloody at both ends. 

"Hey," he panted. "We didn't find him. But there was a hologram of him in the parking lot!" 

"Xu's idea," Seifer said shortly. 

"Elevator," said Fujin. 

"Yeah," said Raijin. "She went up right before you got to the Directory." 

"Come on," said Seifer, frustrated by the wasted time, and they all ran around the island corridor toward the front gates at top speed. They navigated the steps leading to the elevator with ease, and beside him Raijin skidded to a stop. 

The doors opened obediently. They crowded in and Seifer tried the third floor, where the headmaster's office was. No luck. 

"I hope she's on the second floor," he said. "That's all I have access to." 

The second floor was deserted and quiet, stunning after the noise and chaos below. Seifer held a finger to his lips and walked quietly to where the elevator corridor connected with the curved main hall. He peeked around the corner toward the main classroom and saw her. She was standing quietly, back to him and arms folded, looking at the floor. 

He motioned for the others to stay back and started sneaking up on her. She didn't hear him and when he got close enough he grabbed her and pulled her back against him. He swung Hyperion up gently to rest at her throat. 

"Gotcha." 

Seifer felt her tremble. 

"What do you want?" she whispered. 

"I need to find Cid." 

"Why? So you can turn him over to your precious Garden Faculty?" 

"No," he said, adopting a tone of patience. "I need to tell him there are missiles headed this way." 

She stiffened in his arms. "You're lying." 

"Galbadian missiles. I guess the sorceress didn't like it much when SeeD tried to take her out." 

"I won't tell you where he is." 

"Can you take that chance? All those lives in your hands. What if I'm telling the truth? That's a lot of blood, trust me." 

"I don't." 

"I swear I won't kill him." 

"You swear!" She laughed derisively, and then suddenly transformed into a wild mass of struggling limbs, apparently unconcerned that there was a sharp blade to her throat. Seifer swung it away from her and let it slip to the floor. He gritted his teeth and held on, hoping she would tire soon. She was stronger than he would have guessed, and he had already had a long day. 

Eventually she stopped and slumped reluctantly against him. 

"I won't tell you. Kill me if you want, but it's too important." 

"We were assigned to kill the sorceress, you know that," he said. "Well, we didn't manage it, and she's already bombed T-Garden." Xu stiffened, listening hard. "We split up and Tilmitt and Dincht went to the Missile base to try and stop missiles from coming here. Rinoa and I came back to warn Cid in case they failed. I've got to talk to him. Keeping me from him won't be important if we all get blown up. 

"Hyperion is on the floor just there," he continued. "I'm going to let you go in a moment. Pick her up and cover me, take me to Cid. He's got to know." 

"If you hurt him I'll kill you." 

"I know," he said, and released her. 

Xu whirled and Hyperion was in her hand in an instant. She examined his face for several long moments during which it occurred to him that she could easily murder him and warn Cid herself. But she gestured with his gunblade. 

"Turn around. Go to the elevator, he's not on this floor." 

He complied and as they rounded the corner Raijin, Fujin, and Rinoa looked at them with stunned horror. Raijin started toward them, raising his staff. 

"No, Raijin," Seifer said sharply. "It's all right, we're going to see Cid." 

Raijin stopped immediately, looking bewildered, and as they passed them Seifer laughed and said, "He's in his office, isn't he?" 

Xu didn't answer, and Seifer called over his shoulder. "You three, come up after." 

The tip of his own gunblade prodded him in the back, and he scowled as he entered the elevator. She followed, covering him, and stabbed the third floor button. 

As they rose, he leaned against the elevator wall and looked at her. Her face was sweat-streaked and she glared back at him, a hard, furious look in her face. He guessed it would take very little to provoke her into violence, and did not speak. She'd hated him as long as he could remember, and he saw that she still did, that she feared him, and that she would not hesitate to kill him. 

"What?" she said. 

"Nothing." 

When the elevator opened into the waiting room outside Cid's office Seifer felt a distinct sensation of déjà vu. Considering how many times he'd been called up before the headmaster in his years at Garden, this was understandable. The waiting room lacked chairs, a sadistic gesture Seifer had never been able to reconcile with the good-natured headmaster. 

Seifer tapped on the wooden double doors of the office and opened them without waiting for a response, Xu hot on his heels. Cid finished standing as the two SeeDs entered. He clutched a pen in his hand, awkwardly, as if it were a weapon. 

Xu opened her mouth, but Seifer was faster. He explained their situation as briefly as he could. As he spoke the tip of his gunblade, still in Xu's grip, dropped lower and lower. Behind him, the door opened, and he knew Raijin, Fujin, and Rinoa had arrived. 

As he finished, the headmaster dropped into his chair and tossed the pen onto the desk. He stared at the calendar on his desk for a long moment. 

"Xu, as the P.A. system is offline. I need you to go downstairs and initiate evacuation procedures." 

Seifer turned toward her and she tossed Hyperion to him without a word. He saw that she was shaking, and then she pushed past Raijin and Rinoa and was gone. 

"What about us?" said Seifer, turning back to the headmaster. 

"I want you to assist her and then evacuate," he said slowly, folding his arms across his chest. 

"What about you?" 

"I'm going to stay here and see this to the end. This is my home." 

Rinoa said, "No! You can't! Just come with us, please! You can always rebuild this place!" She sounded on the verge of tears. 

"It's all right," said Cid. "I'm just going to try something." 

"What?" said Seifer, frowning. 

"There might be a way to save Garden," said the headmaster. Without warning he collapsed onto one knee, clutching his chest. Seifer started toward him but Cid waved him away. He stood slowly. "I'm too old for this," he said, giving a weak laugh. 

"You're not in any condition to try anything," said Seifer, annoyed. "Why don't you let us do it?" 

"Why should I let you?" said the headmaster, giving Seifer an even look. 

"Because you can't," said Seifer angrily. 

"All right," he said after a moment. "This building used to be a shelter before it was remodeled into Garden as we know it." 

Cid reached in his pocket and drew out a small bronze key. He tossed it to Seifer. "This key will allow you to access the MD level. Below MD level is some kind of mechanism, but you have to get there through access shafts. It was part of the original shelter, and I think maybe it's a shield of some kind. In any case, you'll be safe down there even if it doesn't work and missiles do strike. It's pretty far down." 

"We'll check it out," said Seifer. 

He turned to the others. "Raijin, Fujin, you're with me. Rinoa, stay with the headmaster. Take care of him." For once she didn't protest, and he wondered what was wrong with her. Well, sooner or later he would find out. She'd never been one to keep much to herself. 

"Good luck," said the headmaster, and Seifer returned to the elevator, Raijin and Fujin a comfortable and familiar presence behind him. 

He fitted the new key in the lock and turned it. The elevator sank smoothly, passing level B1, and then stopped all at once. 

"I think we're stuck," said Fujin after a moment, slight amusement in her voice. "Typical." 

"Nah," said Raijin. "There's a hatch in the floor. Look." He crouched down and pried at the floor. A section lifted and through the gap they could see a ladder leading down into darkness. 

One after another they descended the ladder. The elevator shaft was metal, discolored with age, and rusted. They climbed down nearly fifty feet before they reached the end of the ladder and the opening that indicated the final elevator stop. 

Seifer swung inside and gave a hand to the others. As they entered, fluorescent lights flickered on overhead. "This must be MD level." He looked around. They were in a short corridor with a grated floor covered with rotted mats. He could see exhaust ducts and water lines running the length of the corridor. Another hatch was set into the floor at the end of the corridor and he tugged at the handle for a few moments before it flew open. 

There was no ladder this time, just a drop to the next level. He could see more grate flooring and dropped down, hoping the grating was solid enough to support his weight. It seemed to be, and he moved out of the way so the others could follow. This was an oil stratum. Yellow lights gave the corroded metal walls a golden glow, and the rust here was bright red. Once the others were down he led them around a curve in the stratum where they encountered another ladder. 

Later, he could never properly gauge how much time they had spent sliding down into red darkness. Their descent seemed endless, long enough that Seifer's calves were growing tired and rust marks from the ladder rungs stained his hands before they reached the room where the ladders ended. 

Oil reservoirs made up the bulk of the room, set at floor level. He wondered how far below the surface they were. Would they even feel the vibration this far down if missiles struck? Or would they attempt to climb back to the surface and find their way blocked by melted, missile-twisted metal? 

The smell of oil was strong but not unpleasant. As he looked, the surface of one of the reservoirs rippled. 

"Oilers," he said. The creatures looked a bit like slugs, he knew, and manufacturing companies and large military bases sometimes kept them. They were more efficient at cleaning oil than filters and were less expensive in the long run as they had lifespans of several hundred years. 

"Are they dangerous?" Fujin said. 

"They can be," he answered. "Just don't make any quick movements and we'll be okay." 

Raijin pointed. "Look. Cargo doors. I wonder where they go." 

"Probably to more ladders," grumbled Fujin. 

Raijin walked to a lever set in the floor and pulled it. "We'll find out." The doors slid open and they walked in single file along the bulkhead between two of the oil reservoirs and through the doors. 

"This must be what Cid was talking about," said Fujin. 

This room was enormous. Three massive metal cylinders leaned against each other, carved with curving grooves and banded with gleaming metal. Nestled atop the tripod they formed was a sphere taller than Seifer, grooved like the cylinders, and above this the dome ceiling was snaked with shining metal fixtures. In front of them was a large control panel where a solitary green light blinked. 

Raijin moved toward the panel after examining the other machinery in the room. He looked excited. 

"What do you make of it?" Seifer said. 

Raijin touched the panel. "I think it's an engine." 

"An engine?" said Fujin, surprised. 

"We'll see," said Raijin, and then the panel lit up. Raijin tapped a few more buttons, and Seifer heard the rumble of machinery starting. 

"This stuff is old," said Raijin. "I've never seen anything like it." The rumble turned into a whirr, and Seifer watched the grooved sections in the cylinders and the sphere start to rotate faster and faster, giving off sparks. 

"Whoa," said Raijin as the machinery suddenly sank into the floor. 

It wasn't sinking, Seifer realized after a moment. They were rising. Suddenly he was blinded, and threw his arm over his face. His stomach lurched as they accelerated, and he crouched instinctively as the platform shot upward. Only a few moments passed before the platform came to a smooth stop. He hadn't even had time to do more than think about panicking. 

He looked around and met the startled eyes of the headmaster. 

They had stopped near the top of the vaulted ceiling of the headmaster's office, and had apparently acquired both Rinoa and Cid on the way up. The glass walls of the office afforded a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. 

Raijin whooped. "Some ride!" 

Fujin, who had just regained her feet, kicked him in the shin. 

"Was that it?" Seifer wondered. 

Cid looked around, and Seifer could see both excitement and fear on the man's face. "I don't think so." 

There was a great tremor, and movement caught their eyes. Something was spinning all around the outer skin of Garden, and suddenly everything was bathed in blazing blue light. Seifer squinted against it, and saw two spinning rings descend around them, until all he could see from his vantage point was the pale sky and the reflections of electric blue light off the shining surface of the Garden below them. 

Then came a crash so violent that he would have been thrown off his feet if he had been standing, and a murky cloud of dust that instantly blotted out the sky. In the dark room the platform tilted, first one way, then another, accompanied by a hideously loud roaring that was soon pierced by shrieking proximity alarms. 

"The missiles!" he heard Rinoa cry at the same time as Raijin yelled, "Are we _moving?_" 

Then the roaring stopped as Garden tore free of the earth below them and thudded and scraped its way out of the dust cloud. The only sounds they heard as Garden gained enough altitude to avoid bumping the ground was the hum of machinery, far below them. 

"My school is a _ship_," said Cid delightedly as the sky reappeared and trees flew by below them. 

Seifer stood up. The sky turned white and the crack of explosions assaulted his ears. Garden tilted as the shock wave caught it and he fell and then skidded across the platform, where the safety railing caught and held him. 

When he opened his eyes the dust outside was back, accompanied by a debris cloud of smoke and burning leaves. Garden regained its equilibrium and few serenely on. Soon he could once again see sky and trees. Beside him, Cid struggled to his feet. 

"So this is the secret." He sounded wildly excited, and Seifer wondered what effect the stress would have on the headmaster's weak heart. 

"I can't believe something this big can fly," murmured Rinoa. 

They were all on their feet again, and Seifer joined the others in watching the green meadows and trees flow by underneath them. 

"Well," said the headmaster, "we're safe for now." 

"There _were_ missiles," said Rinoa. 

"Yes," said Seifer, thinking of Tilmitt and Kinneas and Dincht. 

Rinoa must have been having the same thought. "Do you think the others are okay?" she asked him. 

"Who knows?" He shrugged. "Maybe they couldn't get in. Maybe they got in and things went wrong. I don't think we have any way of finding out." He looked to Cid. 

The headmaster shook his head. "I had an HD line accessing the outside world, of course, but it's gone after all this." He glanced at Rinoa. She was looking out the windows and didn't notice. "Which others? I assume Quistis sent you back here to warn us?" 

"Not exactly." Seifer cleared his throat. "I think I should give you a report." 

"Oh," said the headmaster. He picked at his red sweater-vest. "Well, there's nothing much we can do anything about right now, and I'm sure you all need a rest after today. I definitely need a nap. Seifer, why don't you come back here later and make that report?" 

Seifer nodded. He should probably make a formal, written report, but he needed to sleep first. He heard Rinoa asking Raijin if there was an observation deck she could go to when Fujin touched his arm. He looked at her and she pointed her chin at the window. 

"Balamb," she said. 

He looked. The seaside town of Balamb was slowly growing bigger as they approached it, and he could see that if they didn't change their course they would crash right through it. 

"Raijin," he said quickly. "Can you turn this thing? We're about to flatten Balamb at two miles an hour." 

Raijin looked up from his conversation with Rinoa. His eyes widened and he ran to the control panel and looked hard at it. Everyone watched him with increasing tension. They were moving slowly, but even if the townspeople escaped the damage would be appalling. 

There was a high-pitched hum and they lurched upward a few feet. "That's not it," Raijin rumbled, and tried a few more things. 

"Hurry," said Fujin urgently, as Garden's shadow fell over the town. 

"This should do it," said Raijin, fiddling with a yoke that had emerged from the panel. "I think." 

Seifer watched as their angle of view changed a bit, and they were turning. Slowly, Balamb slipped out of view and the sea replaced it. 

"Raijin? We don't want to be in the sea, do we?" Seifer said. 

"Well," said Raijin, frustrated. "It's not responding. I'm sure Garden can float! This is an island, you know? Why would you put a flying building on a little island if it can't go over the sea?" 

"Over, maybe," said Seifer. "It's into I'm worried about." 

They could see individual waves now, and Cid said, "I think maybe everybody should hold on to something." They each grabbed a part of the platform's safety railing just in time, and felt Garden's deceleration as something below them caught in the water. The floor tipped forward, and as Garden landed in the sea the windows were obscured by a tremendous spray of water. 

As the floor resumed the proper angle for standing, and Garden powered down, the hum of the engines faded. 

Nothing happened. 

"Well, I guess Garden can float," said Cid. 

"Unless we're just sinking really slow!" said Raijin. 

Seifer laughed aloud and ran his hand through his hair. "What now?" 

"I guess we just drift," said Cid.

+

Fujin glared at the book she was reading. Three days on the water now, and she was going to go out of her mind. Raijin had been steadily driving her crazy this morning, telling her over and over again that she should go out to the observation deck and check out the view. She'd tried telling him she knew what water looked like, but he just didn't listen. Then he started wondering out loud where Seifer was and had she heard the new Rapid CD, she could borrow it if she wanted, did she want to? She'd started fantasizing about choking him to death and when he asked her for the third time if she wanted him to go get her something to eat she'd snapped and told him to go away. 

At least he took that sort of thing well, shrugging and telling her she was too thin and he was going to go eat at least five hot dogs, and see you later. 

She'd thought about running after him and punching him in the back of the head but knew she was too lazy. 

Now she was in the library, reading a murder mystery. It was awful. Obviously, the narrator was the killer. She could tell because he was always tired in the morning, and never felt like he'd got enough rest. Oldest plot trick in the book. 

Still, reading this crappy book was better than staring at the wall. Sort of. 

Plucking the elastic strap of her eyepatch and letting it snap back against her temple, she couldn't decide whether she should get glasses or not. She liked to read but knew that lots of reading could damage her eyesight. And really, that would be unfortunate since she only had one eye. 

A monocle. That's what she would get. No, that would look stupid. 

Fujin realized that all this inactivity was making her weird. 

She sighed and tried to read her book some more but she just couldn't get into it. 

"Excuse me, are you Fujin?" 

She looked up as a young woman with short brown hair sat down across from her. 

Fujin glared. 

"I'm Ellone. You are Fujin, aren't you?" 

"Affirmative," she agreed reluctantly. 

"I was wondering if you could tell me where Seifer is." 

Fujin stared. 

"I just need to talk to him." 

Apparently everyone was looking for Seifer. Except Fujin, who knew that bad pennies always turned up eventually. 

"Negative," she said. 

Ellone didn't seem to mind her strange way of speaking. "Well, thank you anyway."

+

Fujin marched along the corridor and tried to appear grumpy. Seifer strolled beside her, pretending to examine his gunblade. Unsheathed weapons were prohibited in the halls of Balamb Garden, but Seifer never was one to care much about rules. 

She strode a little faster, hoping to make him hurry a little and lose his dignity, but his long legs were more than a match for hers and he merely graduated from an amble to a walk. 

He gave her a sly look and put his gunblade away. "So how's that arm? That tap wasn't too much for you, was it?" 

"Negative," she growled. In fact, it did ache a bit and she'd probably have a bruise, but she would never admit that it hurt. It didn't matter anyway; he knew how hard he'd hit her. It was almost a compliment, anyway, that he wouldn't pull blows with her the way he did with other female students. It wasn't that he was chivalrous, just that he didn't think most girls required his full effort to defeat. And usually he was correct. 

They'd just spent a happy hour or so in the Training Centre, fooling around at sparring and later abandoning their weapons for some unarmed combat. 

She liked to spend time alone with Seifer, but it was an infrequent occurrence. He did like to prod her occasionally, and she enjoyed the attention. She knew what Seifer's brand of flattery looked like and this wasn't it. It was an honest desire to amuse, a liking born of respect. What was even more flattering was that sometimes, when it was just the two of them, he dropped the face he presented to the rest of the world. He could be tired or discouraged around her and it was clear that he didn't care that she knew. 

What was more, she could talk around him without feeling self-conscious. He didn't mind her ruined voice, the result of a rather enthusiastic hug around the neck from her late foster father. She'd broken a glass, if she recalled correctly, and she counted herself lucky that he'd stopped before she died. 

Lately she hadn't seen much of Seifer at all, with or without company. But it had been five days since the missiles, and they were forced into idleness. Classes had resumed, but they were SeeDs and therefore on standby. Unfortunately, there weren't many assignments to be had in the middle of the ocean. 

The cafeteria was crowded, but Raijin's height and his broad shoulders stood out in a crowd. He waved them over to his table and she saw that he had secured lunch for all of them. 

Raijin didn't have a lot going on upstairs, and sometimes she wanted to beat his thick skull against a wall, but he could be very thoughtful. He'd gotten her a double helping of spinach, which she liked past all reasoning, and a bagel. 

She and Seifer set to, and they were nearly finished when a Garden Faculty member approached. 

"Are you Student ID No. 41270?" he asked Seifer. 

"I'm Seifer Almasy," he said shortly, and stabbed a spear of broccoli with his fork. 

The man was unfazed by Seifer's rudeness. "The Garden Master wishes to see you. Report to B1 immediately." 

"When I'm done eating," said Seifer, but the Garden Faculty member was already walking away. 

Fujin watched Seifer chew, wondering what he was going to do. He didn't take very well to being given curt orders and she'd seen him throw chairs across rooms before. That was always fun to watch, and she could certainly use some entertainment. 

But he just tossed his fork on the table and stood up. "You guys coming?" 

Raijin shot to his feet. "Of course, boss." 

"Have either of you seen Rinoa?" Seifer said suddenly, as they pushed their chairs in and left the cafeteria. 

Raijin said, "Not since we were in Cid's office, you know?" 

Fujin just shook her head. Even if she'd seen the girl, she wouldn't have admitted it. She didn't like the appraising way Rinoa looked at her, as if she were a rival for Seifer's affection. Fujin also didn't like the faintly smug expression that inevitably followed the appraising one. Seifer belonged to her and Raijin as far as Fujin was concerned; they were a posse. If Rinoa thought he loved her she was mistaken. And if Rinoa thought Fujin was in love with him she was equally mistaken. 

Level B1 was a floor she had never seen. She looked around curiously as they exited the elevator and was immediately offended by the harsh blue light. The rest of the facility was colored with soothing pastel shades; this was garish. 

Shouting caught her attention and reflexively she loosed her weapon from her belt. Two Garden Faculty members came into view from around the central column of the round room. They were dragging the headmaster toward the elevator, but he was putting up quite a fight, flailing arms and legs, and she wanted to laugh at how undignified they looked trying to restrain an enraged middle-aged man. 

"You money-grubbing son of a bitch!" yelled Cid. "I wish I could go back ten or so years and kick your ass instead of signing that contract!" 

The Faculty members tossed him unceremoniously to the floor and stalked away. Raijin ran to help the headmaster up. 

"Hey, you all right?" Raijin said. "You don't look so good, you know?" 

"I'm okay." Cid flushed and rubbed his neck. "Sorry you had to see that. Even useless old fools like me lose their tempers once in a while." 

He shot a furious look over his shoulder and entered the elevator. 

"That was interesting," said Seifer. "Well, let's find out what this is." 

They rounded the curving wall and all three of them stopped short. 

The Garden Master wasn't human. 

Set into the wall was a large pod-like mechanical contrivance. Fujin could see several screens along the sides that presumably gave the Master access to HD lines. Nestled inside the pod was an enormous creature with skin that was nearly flesh colored, but with just enough orange tint to make him look like his diet existed mainly of carrots. His hands, however, were his most notable feature: they were abnormally large, and they moved back and forth dreamily, as if he was attempting to perform sleight of hand in slow motion. 

"The Master of this Garden, Norg," announced a nearby Faculty member. 

"YOU ARE THE SEEDS WHO WENT TO GALBADIA GARDEN?" Fujin almost smiled. Norg's voice was far worse than hers. He spoke in a very loud monotone, and his words were spoken with such speed and lack of inflection that it was though they were being shot out of an automatic weapon. 

"Yes," said Seifer, for the sake of simplicity. 

"GIVE ME YOUR REPORT ON THE SORCERESS," demanded Norg.

Fujin glanced at Seifer. He was frowning, which was not a good sign. 

"We confirmed the order to assassinate the sorceress at Galbadia Garden--" 

"THAT MARTINE," bellowed Norg. "HE SET YOU UP. THERE WAS NO ORDER FROM BALAMB GARDEN!" 

Seifer was flushing, which was not a good sign. Fujin knew he hated to be interrupted. His voice was stiff when he spoke. 

"At G-Garden we were introduced to Irvine Kinneas, a sharpshooter. We proceeded to Deling City and met with General Caraway--" 

Norg was not listening, apparently still fixated on the traitor Martine. "I TOLD HIM TO TAKE CARE OF HER AND HE USED YOU TO INCRIMINATE ME! TRYING TO MAKE EDEA THINK I SENT YOU! THAT BASTARD!" 

"You just said you told Martine to get rid of her," he said coldly. "It amounts to the same thing." Norg roared deafeningly, but Seifer continued. "She'd know SeeD was involved anyway-- it's not like she'd go after G-Garden and leave Balamb alone. Your stupid order got us in this mess, and those are the facts." 

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Norg thundered. "CID WON'T DO IT BUT I WILL! IF I GIVE HER THE SEEDS RESPONSIBLE SHE'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME!" He gestured violently at the attending Faculty. "TAKE THEM!" 

Raijin whirled, his staff already out and spinning. "I never see you guys in the Training Centre, you know? You really want to try it? Get your heads knocked in, you!" 

This seemed to convince them; they fled. 

"USELESS FOOLS! I'LL DO IT MYSELF!" 

"Pandemona," whispered Fujin. 

Seifer was already climbing up the steep wall of the pod with quick and thoughtless grace. 

"Hold on!" Fujin yelled and then Pandemona came, driving the air before her, invading a room that never saw a breeze. Seifer's coat snapped in the storm and then Pandemona took over. 

When she came back to herself the room was still except for the sound of quiet weeping. It took her several moments to understand that it was Norg. 

"I'm afraid of you," he sobbed childishly, trying to protect himself with his hands. 

Seifer stood on the lip of the pod, gunblade ready. "You should be."

+

"He's here," said Doctor Kadowaki, "but he's not up to having visitors at the moment. He needs to rest for a few hours before he does anything much." 

"It's urgent," Seifer tried, but even as he said it Kadowaki shook her head. 

"Doctor," he heard from the first ward. "It's all right, I'll see him." 

Kadowaki grimaced. "The headmaster is determined to drive himself into a heart attack," she said quietly. "You've got ten minutes." 

"Thank you," he said, and slipped by her. Raijin and Fujin gave her respectful nods as they passed. 

Cid sat on the bed, hands limply clasped between his knees. As Seifer saluted, the headmaster looked up and Seifer saw that his eyes were puffy and bloodshot. His hair was extremely mussed, and Seifer thought that the headmaster looked ten years older than he had a half-hour previously. 

"Well, Seifer. What can I do for you?" 

"I need to make a report." 

The headmaster ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I have your report on my desk. I've even read it." 

"No, sir. I need to make a new report." 

"A new report?" 

"Yes. You just saw us on B1?" 

"Yes," Cid said slowly. 

Seifer explained what had happened, what they had done. He had expected that Cid would be aghast at his murder of the proprietor of Garden, but he didn't even blink. In fact, Seifer wondered if the headmaster had even been listening; he'd finished his story, and Cid showed no signs of responding. 

"Sir?" 

"Yes, Seifer," he said unhappily. 

"I'd like some answers," he said pointedly. 

"It's a long story." Cid looked up at him miserably. "It's hard to believe even now that it's come to this." He sighed and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. 

"Norg was part of the Shumi tribe. They live in the north, underground, not far from where Trabia Garden is. Was. I met him when I was traveling, looking for funding to build Garden. He was interested in the project and thanks to his help it was completed. 

"But running Garden is expensive--it's a financial black hole, really. We started dispatching SeeD to help support it. You're familiar with the process." Cid's voice took on a bitter tone. "Garden began to change. We lost sight of our high ideals, the truth was covered up--" Cid visibly stopped himself from saying more and instead gave a frustrated sigh. 

"In any case, we soon reached financial stability, and pretty soon we were running in the black. Norg pushed for new Gardens, and that's how Trabia and Galbadia Gardens came to be. 

"The truth, though. The truth is that Garden was never meant to be the home of an elite mercenary force. SeeD has its own destiny, its own reason for existing, a purpose that has been hidden behind mission profits and tuition and housing fees and paramagic patents for too long. So long that I think it's too late." 

Cid looked up at Seifer miserably. "And it's all my fault." 

"What are you talking about?" said Seifer. 

The headmaster bent his head, and suddenly he looked old, worn out like a horse that has been used badly. 

"I never forgot the truth, but I tried to ignore it as best I could. I thought if I left it alone it might resolve itself. I'm just a weak person. I'm ashamed of it, but I just couldn't face my responsibilities. I had a terrible choice to make and I couldn't do it. I just couldn't." He stared at his hands, clenched together in his lap. 

"SeeD was created to destroy the sorceress. And now the true mission is at hand." 

Cid crumpled a little and began to cry; it took Seifer several seconds to decipher his next words. 

"SeeD's mission is to kill my wife."

+

The restless feeling that had been in him the last few days as Balamb Garden drifted serenely across the ocean had flared into a gnawing, relentless desire for action after Cid's confession. 

Seifer lay on his bed in his quarters, twitching with boredom and frustration. While SeeD was sequestered on the ocean, their adversaries had free rein to do whatever they wished. He burned to escape the prison Garden had become and eliminate his enemies. 

Again he lined them up. 

Martine. He had purposefully thrown them at an impossible task that had almost no chance of survival, and was trying to play both sides. 

General Caraway. In the same class as Martine. But he was Rinoa's father, and even with her constant protestations of complete loathing for 'that man,' Seifer knew she would never forgive him if he murdered him. Imprisonment, then, if he didn't struggle. Death if he did, and Rinoa be damned. 

Trepe. Traitor. 

The sorceress Edea. What power did a sorceress have over him? None. He knew his abilities; he could take her. He was a SeeD; he would fulfill its destiny, flesh it out from a dusty dream into tangible, bloody reality. Cid's wife she might be, but Seifer would kill her, and Cid would thank him for it in the end. 

Squall. He would watch his allies fall and his power crumble, and then he would die. 

If he weren't trapped in Garden it would be so easy. A trip to Deling City to pick up Caraway. Then he would find and infiltrate Galbadia Garden. One man could do that easily. 

He realized he was fidgeting and stilled himself. 

A knock came at the door and he wondered, as he had wondered every time someone had come to the door in the last few days, if it was Rinoa, finally come to bother him after finishing whatever matter it was she had involved herself in. 

He heaved himself off the bed and opened the door. It was Xu, and she looked tense. 

"Seifer, do you know where the headmaster is?" Her voice was flat with anxiety. 

"Probably still in the infirmary." 

"Good. Listen, there's a ship approaching and it's Galbadian. I need to get Cid. Will you go up to the observation deck on F2 and make sure they don't board us?" 

"I'm on it." Seifer whirled and snatched Hyperion off his desk. When he turned back to the door Xu was gone. 

He trotted down the hallway, not bothering to stow his blade, and stopped near the end of the hall. He pounded on two adjacent doors with his fist and shouted, "Raijin, Fujin! Get out here, I need you on the observation deck!" 

He didn't wait for them but took off again, not trotting but running full out. It felt like pure adrenaline was pumping through his veins rather than blood. Finally, something to do, someone to fight. It was all he could do to stay still in the elevator and not smash Hyperion into the walls. 

When he opened the hatch from the second floor hallway to the observation deck the sun nearly blinded him. He blinked furiously and shaded his eyes, scanning the blinding waves for the approaching ship. 

It was an older Galbadian model, a slim ship that was merely a short launchpad for hovercraft or helicopters. Everything of interest happened below deck, a design feature that made the ship very difficult to see when the rear fins were inactive. No wonder they had gotten so close before being spotted. 

The hatch opened behind him and he turned his head. Raijin and Fujin stepped into place beside him, weapons out, and together they watched the ship until it was within hailing distance. Seifer's blood was racing. Was Squall aboard? 

But when the ship slowed to pace the floating Garden and three men emerged from belowdecks, he saw that they wore white uniforms rather than Galbadia's blue. 

From a distance two stories above, their faces were merely pink blurs, but Seifer could hear their shouted words easily. 

"We're unarmed! We're coming aboard!" 

He yelled back, slicing his gunblade through the air. "Think again!" 

But grappling hooks sailed over the edge of the railing and slid into position. Seifer laughed in delight, more than ready for confrontation. He rushed toward the railing, intent on causing mayhem. 

"Seifer! Seifer, it's all right," Cid's voice came from the hatch behind him. He halted reluctantly and turned. The headmaster had arrived, Xu accompanying him. 

"You know these guys?" 

"Yes. I've been expecting them." 

Then the trio of white clad men vaulted over the railing, landing catlike on the deck. Seifer raised his gunblade again, but dropped the tip as they gave the SeeD salute. 

"Headmaster, we've come for Ellone. It's too dangerous now." At the mention of Ellone's name, Seifer frowned. He'd heard that name somewhere before. Somewhere recently. 

"Yes, I'm afraid so," said the headmaster sadly. He took a deep breath. "Seifer, would you go fetch Ellone?"' 

"Uh," said Seifer. 

"Oh. I thought you-- don't you know who she is?" 

"Affirmative," said Fujin unexpectedly. She gave Seifer a grumpy look and stalked through the hatch. 

He and Raijin followed, catching her up easily as she marched toward the elevator. 

"Fujin, who's Ellone?" said Raijin innocently. 

Seifer grinned as they stepped into the lift. 

"Fujin? Do you know Ellone?" 

Fujin ignored him and pushed the ground floor button. The doors closed. 

"Fu--" 

"Shut up. She's just some girl who came looking for Seifer while I was in the library." 

"What were you doing in the library?" 

"Reading, what do you think?" 

Raijin looked surprised, and Seifer suppressed a chortle. 

The lift doors opened and they stepped out and walked toward the Directory. 

"Fujin, why did she want to see Seifer?" 

"Who wouldn't want to see me?" 

"Idiots," said Fujin, and marched faster toward the library. 

"Was she pretty, Fujin?" Seifer said. 

"Hag," she said, and then they were all three striding into the library. Fujin threw out an arm and pointed to a girl sitting at a reading table. 

"Ellone," she bellowed. All heads turned toward them. 

"All right, all right," laughed Seifer. He walked across the carpeted floor and sat down across from the girl.

"So you're Ellone." 

She was actually quite pretty, he saw as she smiled at him. Her sweet, heart-shaped face was framed by soft brown hair, and her eyes were bright. 

"Yes, I am. And you're Seifer." 

"Yes." He leaned toward her. "So tell me, Ellone, why would a Galbadian ship be here to pick you up? Why would the headmaster say it's too dangerous for you to stay here now?" 

The smile faded from her face. 

Familiar, she looked familiar. Her face wasn't new to him, and neither was her name.

"Have we met before?" he said abruptly. Almost at once he remembered the dream he had refused to admit to Zell. 

Seifer had been a man named Kiros, a man who came to find his friend… but his friend was in love, in love with Raine, and she and Laguna took care of a little girl. Laguna hadn't wanted to leave them. Raine and… Ellone. 

The little girl had grown up, and was sitting right in front of him. "Laguna left, didn't he?" he said to her, and watched as her face fell. She looked very sad. 

"Yes, he did. He left for me. But he shouldn't have." 

"You're doing it. You're sending these dreams." 

Ellone bowed her head. "Yes. I'm sorry. People say you can't change the past, but if there's a possibility it's worth a try." 

"You want to stop Laguna from leaving?" 

"It's all gone wrong," she muttered. "He's got to stay, for more than one reason now. He's just got to." 

She looked up at him suddenly, and her eyes were brilliant with tears. "I wouldn't have sent you, Seifer, but I had no choice. I know we were never close. I'm sorry." 

While Seifer was trying to digest this, Xu appeared. 

"Ellone, are you ready?" 

"Yes," she said, and stood. Seifer looked up at her, feeling very confused. 

"Seifer, keep doing what you're doing and maybe it won't matter if I fail. Kill her if you get the chance." 

And then she was gone. 

Raijin and Fujin joined him at the table. "What was that about?" said Raijin, bewildered. 

"I don't know." Seifer leaned back in his chair, thinking. "She's right about one thing for sure, though. We were never close." 

The front legs of his chair hit the carpet with a small thud. "As far as I know, that's the first time I've ever met her."

+

The triple chime of the PA system woke him. He rolled onto his side, curled around blankets, and sighed as the headmaster's voice came out of the intercom. 

_"Our PA system is up and it's great to be back on the air! I have several announcements for you today. I know the weather is nice, but I must stress that swimming is strictly forbidden for your own safety. Our engines are still unstable and they may fire up at any time. So you're all welcome to sunbathe on the Quad but please, keep out of the water. Classes will be resuming on..."_

Seifer stopped listening, intending to go back to sleep, but Cid's droning voice did not stop. He disentangled himself from his blankets and looked at the clock. 0800 hours. He grimaced; he'd been sleeping late ever since they'd landed on the water. 

He took a shower and was just pulling on his pants when there was a knock at the door. 

It was Raijin and Fujin, wanting to go to breakfast. He swung on his trenchcoat and followed them to the cafeteria, where he waited in line sleepily for a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal. 

The sun was brilliant today in an enameled blue sky. He leaned on his elbow and shaded his eyes as he ate. 

He listened vaguely as Raijin tried to talk Fujin into a game of Triple Triad. 

Where was Rinoa? Not that he wasn't grateful to be spared her presence, but he hadn't seen her in days and he was the only person she knew here. What was she doing, and why hadn't she been bothering him? Was-- 

His cereal bowl clattered to the floor as the Garden lurched suddenly. Sugary bits of wheat spattered Raijin from head to toe, and the sound of breaking china rang around the cafeteria. 

He was shoved painfully into the table, and Fujin had fallen over backwards with a surprised grunt. As Raijin helped her up, Seifer looked around and saw people clinging to their tables everywhere. 

Then Garden righted itself. Seifer pushed himself away from the table, wondering if the cafeteria lady would let him have another bowl. He was still hungry. 

The PA chimed. 

_"This is the headmaster. We've landed at Fisherman's Horizon. Under no circumstances is anyone to leave Garden at this time. Seifer, please come to my office immediately."_

Food forgotten, Seifer rose and made his way out of the cafeteria, Raijin and Fujin hurrying after him. 

In minutes he was knocking on the headmaster's door. 

"Come in," he heard from within, and opened the door. "Ah, Seifer," said Cid, smiling at him from behind the desk. 

Seifer saluted. Behind him, he knew Raijin and Fujin were following suit. 

"Yes, yes," the headmaster said dismissively. "As you may have guessed, I have a mission for you. 

"When I said we'd landed at FH, well, really what I meant was that we sort of crashed into it. I need you to go find the mayor and apologize on my behalf." He stood and clasped his hands behind his back. 

"It's important that you let him know that we come in peace. Fisherman's Horizon has a reputation of disliking warfare, so we are in a delicate position. I doubt they'll be happy to see us, but I'm sure you can smooth things over for us. 

"Why don't all three of you go, and you can have a day out? Observe the town, you know. Be back by 1600 to report." 

"Yes, sir," he said, and turned to leave. 

"One more word, Seifer, if you please." 

He gestured to the others to go on to the elevator, and turned again. 

The headmaster looked different than he had the day before. He was smiling warmly, and there was normal color in his cheeks. He looked ten years younger than he had the previous day. 

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you." 

"You are?" he said, nonplussed. 

"Yes. I've always worried that you might not find your niche here, so to speak. But it looks like I shouldn't have. You've stepped up to the challenge admirably, yes you have." 

Cid beamed fondly at him. 

"I expect great things from you, my boy." 

"Thank you, sir," Seifer said, and fled before the headmaster could see the flush rising in his face.

+

An hour later the Disciplinary Committee stood once again on the observation deck, gazing at Fisherman's Horizon. If the early morning sun had been brilliant, this late morning sun was blinding. Seifer had discarded his trenchcoat reluctantly in his quarters; it was just too hot, but he wished he'd thought to pick up a pair of sunglasses. 

For over a week there had been little to see off the observation deck but glinting waves, but now there was almost too much to look at. Balamb Garden had crashed into one of the outlying docks on the northern side of FH. At least, Seifer thought of it as a dock, but in reality it and almost everything else he could see from this vantage point was a confusing hodgepodge of metal with no discernable purpose to any one piece or combination thereof. 

FH was the midway point between Galbadia and Esthar and ringed the now abandoned railway that connected the two countries. The only part of it that was not jagged and rusting was the dazzling bowl that lay on the far side of the tracks. 

"Well, let's get to it." 

They had brought gear for rappelling down the side of Garden, but it had turned out not to be necessary. Seifer vaulted over the deck's railing and landed lightly on the metal walkway on the other side. 

Raijin and Fujin followed, and the trio stepped carefully toward the city, heated air from the glittering metal below them rising around them like a warm, invisible fist. 

At the end of the walkway they met their first civilians, one young man with dark hair, and an older gentleman who clenched an enormous smoking pipe between his teeth. They lounged on either side of the entrance to a lift that obviously led down to the city proper. 

Both eyed them with interest, and Seifer noted that their gaze lingered on Fujin's unmistakably military garb. 

"You're from that Garden," grunted the old man. 

"Yes, I'm Seifer Almasy, here representing Balamb Garden." He smiled winningly. "We lost control and ended up here." He put an anxious look on his face. "I hope no-one was hurt." 

"Nah, nah," the old man said irritably. "Just made a hell of a mess." 

"We're very sorry," Seifer said, gritting his teeth in another charming smile. It was too hot. He didn't want to play nice with some provincial hick to complete his objective. 

"Don't worry," said the young man. "We love fixing stuff. We'll have everything good as new in a jiffy." 

The old man fixed a beady eye on Seifer. "That the only reason you're here? Out of control vehicle?" 

Seifer adopted an expression of mild surprise. "Of course. I assure you this is a peaceful mission." 

"That's fine, then," said the younger man. "We don't hold much with violence here. Just don't draw your weapons once you're inside and you'll be fine." 

Seifer nodded. 

"You'll want the mayor, I'm thinking. He lives in the dish on the south side. Can't miss it." 

"Thank you," Seifer said, and they trooped into the lift. 

As they walked through the outer edges of the metal forest, Seifer saw that the city seemed to be sparsely populated; there were people in ones and twos loitering outside of shops, watching them warily, and at the edges of the water a few people lounged with fishing poles in their hands and hats pulled low over their faces to guard against the glare, but there were no crowds and it was quiet except for the cry of seagulls and the lapping of water against metal. 

"They like the quiet life," Fujin murmured as they approached the edge of the bowl that held the mayor's home. 

"I could never live here," Seifer muttered, and Raijin snorted. 

Even this close, standing on the rim of the massive depression, the reflection off the floor was so bright it was impossible to tell what was causing it. Only as they descended the long, shallow metal steps that led to the house at the very center did Seifer realize that the bowl was coated in solar panels. 

At last they reached the platform in the middle. The two-story tower there, like everything else they had seen so far, was made completely of metal. 

A sign on the front door said, 'Enter, friends.' While Seifer was contemplating the likelihood of the mayor counting them as friends, a familiar female voice came from just the other side of the door. 

"Thank you. Do let me know if you hear anything."

The door opened and Seifer found himself face to face with Quistis Trepe. She was wearing a flowered sundress and her golden hair was unbound, blazing around her face and down her back in the sun. 

Beside him, Fujin let out a faint hiss, and his own arm twitched toward his gunblade before he caught himself. _We're in a delicate position_, the headmaster's voice said in his head. 

Trepe didn't even blink. "Excuse me," she said, as though she'd never seen him before. Seifer didn't move and she edged around him, looking surprised at his lack of manners. 

The door swung shut behind her and he found himself staring at it, feeling poleaxed. Inside him the struggle between what he wanted to do and what he knew he must do raged, and only when Raijin said, "Uh, boss, she's getting away," did he snap out of it. 

"It's all right, Raijin. We don't have a choice right now, we have to talk to the mayor." He composed his features and set his hand on the door. "She's small fry anyway," he said, and pushed the door open again. 

The interior of the house reminded Seifer strongly of a cargo bay. There was no furniture, and metal counters edged the round room. A friendly-looking woman with brown hair stood very near the door. 

"Ah, you must be from Garden," she said, smiling. "I'm Flo Dobe. Come on upstairs, my husband has been expecting you." 

She led the way, and as they emerged onto the top story Seifer saw that it was not so much an upstairs as it was a roof. There was still no furniture, although a large round rug covered most of the floor. It looked as though someone had intended on installing floor-to-ceiling windows, but had forgotten somehow the ceiling and glass. 

Flo sat on the rug next to her sour-looking husband, and before Seifer could offer a greeting he said, "Allow me to get to the point. When are you leaving?" 

"As soon as we can, Mayor Dobe," Seifer said soberly. 

"Do you know when that will be?" 

"No," said Seifer. "We've only recently discovered that our Garden is mobile. We're not adept at moving it, we're still trying to understand it. We think it may need repairs." 

Mayor Dobe glared at him. 

"You aren't here looking for Ellone like that other woman?" 

"Ellone? Who's Ellone?" said Seifer in a puzzled tone. "Like I said, we crashed and now we're stuck. That's all." 

"Hm," said the mayor. "What if I offered you the services of our technicians? They should be able to repair and service everything on your Garden. Centra manufacture, is it?" 

"Uh, I don't know," said Seifer. "It sounds like that would solve both our problems, but I'd have to check with my superiors and get back to you. I could be back later today or tomorrow." 

Mayor Dobe nodded, and glanced at his wife. 

"Today, if possible." 

"We'll go now, then," Seifer said, and inclined his head at each of them before leaving.

+

Seifer waited until they were well away from the mayor's house before speaking. They stood on an offramp of the main track, well away from any listening ears, sweating under the blazing sun. 

"So Galbadia's looking for Ellone." 

"No wonder those guys in white said it was too dangerous. Us stranded, and all. Wonder why they want her?" said Raijin. 

Seifer told them quickly about his conversation with Ellone in the library. 

"She can view the past, then? What's the big deal about that?" 

"Well, she thinks she can do more than just look at it," said Seifer. "She thinks she can change it." 

All three stood silently for a moment, thinking dark thoughts. 

"I think we should go back now," said Fujin. "I'm getting the feeling that the sooner we get out of here, the better." 

"Yeah," said Raijin. "Hey, do you think those technicians might let me work with them? If Garden really was built by Centra engineers, wow, that's--" 

But Seifer gestured for silence. "Listen!" 

There were shouts in the distance, growing closer, and with them a loud rumbling sound. Shading his eyes, he looked up at the main track, and within moments saw what the disturbance was. 

A very battered Galbadian MRV was trundling unsteadily along the main track overhead, smoke billowing out of its turbines. A small group of very excited people followed it at a careful distance, hooting and shouting directions. 

As it passed overhead he heard the crowd gasp. 

"Get back!" he shouted, and leapt backward as the MRV tipped over the side of the track and landed on its side right in front of them with an enormous crash. The hatch at the top of the vehicle shot off and clanged on a supporting strut nearby before falling into the water below. 

The MRV's engines failed and smoke poured out of the hatch. Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin ran toward it as a smudged hand reached out of the hole where the hatch had been and grasped at a railroad tie. 

Zell Dincht, his hair filthy and drooping, his clothes wrinkled and smoke-stained, pulled himself out of the MRV and flung himself on his back across the tracks, eyes tightly shut. 

"I need a hot dog," he moaned. 

Seifer laughed, relief flooding through him, as Irvine Kinneas followed Dincht and then turned to help Selphie Tilmitt out of the vehicle. 

He, Raijin, and Fujin hurried forward to help them to their feet. For a few moments, there was chaos as Raijin informed Zell at the top of his voice that he could probably get a fishdog on the way back, and Irvine, with Selphie sagging against him, semi-conscious, said, "The hatch jammed shut when we blew up the Missile Base. Reckoned they could get us out here, everyone knows FH is machine-crazy. Took us a week, though." 

Selphie straightened and staggered forward a step, fixing Seifer with a desperate stare. "Is Garden okay?" she croaked. She looked far worse for the wear than the other two with dark smudges under her eyes that had nothing to do with smoke. "We got the base but the missiles still launched…" 

Seifer grinned at her. "Garden's fine. We're going there now and you won't believe it--" 

But Selphie threw her hands over her face then, shoulders hunched, and let out a sob. She swayed, her hands fell away, and Irvine rushed forward to catch her as her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.

+

"So you ran into Quistis and you didn't take her?" said Cid, watching Seifer with an inscrutable expression. 

Seifer grimaced as he stood before the headmaster's desk, wondering if he was about to receive a dressing-down. 

"No. I wanted to, of course, but with Garden still immobile I couldn't do anything to further risk Galbadian retaliation." 

"Naturally," said the headmaster, a smile suddenly appearing on his face. "Xu," he said to the woman standing next to his chair. "Go ahead and let the mayor know we'd be grateful for their help. I'd like to speak to Seifer alone." 

Xu nodded and left the office, giving Seifer a look very similar to the headmaster's inscrutable one. 

"So," said the headmaster, still smiling. 

Seifer said nothing, still wary. 

"You've showed remarkable restraint today, Seifer. Yes, that was really the only reservation I had, but you did splendidly." 

"Sir?" 

The smile left Headmaster Kramer's face, and he looked solemnly at Seifer for a moment. 

"I'm turning Garden over to you," he said abruptly. 

Seifer stared at him, not sure he'd really heard him properly. 

"What?" 

"You've proved to me that you know the right time to strike. You know our goal. Edea…" he looked down at his desk. "I think it's pretty clear that I can't do what's necessary. It was her idea in the first place," he muttered, "but neither of us ever thought she'd face SeeD herself. Or maybe I was the only one who was so naive." 

He looked back up at Seifer and his voice was steady. "But you can do it. And you will. As of this moment, you're promoted to A status and you gain the title of Commander. I will reside as headmaster, but I can no longer be the director of operations. We need a battle leader, and you're it. You'll decide SeeD's destination, its tactics, and you will lead us in battle. Until the end." 

Seifer stood, stunned, unable to believe this wasn't some sort of dream. 

"Sir, are you sure?" 

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, except that I love my wife. If someone's got to do it, I want it to be you." 

"Thank you, sir," said Seifer, feeling slightly foolish. 

Cid was smiling at him again, and his eyes were wet. "Don't call me 'sir', Seifer, you outrank me. You'll embarrass Xu horribly." 

"Wouldn't want that," said Seifer, and Cid laughed. 

"Well now, I'm sure you have a lot on your mind right now. Why don't you go and tell your friends?" 

Seifer nodded and turned away, feeling as though he had been suddenly dropped on the surface of an alien planet. 

"Oh, one more thing!" called Cid, and Seifer turned back. His expression was sympathetic. "How's Rinoa doing?" 

"Rinoa?" 

"Yes, she didn't seem to take it very well, poor girl. I'm a bit concerned. Is she doing all right?" 

"I haven't seen her since we left Balamb," Seifer said slowly. "What didn't she take very well?" 

Cid's sympathetic looked turned into one of dismay. "Oh. I thought-- well, I think she should tell you herself, really. She's in room 146." The headmaster looked worried and slightly taken aback. "Really, you should go see her." 

"I will," he nodded, and made his way to the elevator.

+

Seifer stood outside room 146 and debated. The realization that he was now the Garden Commander had set in, and his mind was buzzing with half-formed plans. He was starting to feel an urgent need to get working; what SeeD was going to do would take planning, and he wanted to strike soon before Galbadia stirred up too much more chaos. 

But Cid had wanted him to check on Rinoa, and he knew he had to do it. As much as he wanted to stay far, far away from her the fact remained that there was definitely something wrong with her and he was the only person she really knew here. 

Was this the proper time, though? He was feeling edgy and he knew he wasn't in a receptive mood for Rinoa's games. 

He hesitated a few more moments, and then knocked on the door. 

There was a very long silence, and he was just considering knocking again when her voice came from within, telling him to come in. 

The door was unlocked, and when he entered the room it was dark. He could see Rinoa curled in a chair at the window, looking down on Fisherman's Horizon. 

"Hello," she said in a very subdued voice, not turning to look at him. 

"Hi," he said. 

She didn't appear eager to take the conversation further and he sighed. He didn't want to be here in the first place, and now she was going to make him drag it out of her. 

"I haven't seen you around. What's going on?" he said bluntly. 

Rinoa did look around at him then, but he couldn't see her face in the darkness. 

"My father's dead," she said, and looked back out the window. 

"General Caraway's dead?" said Seifer, startled. 

"Cid got the news on HD right before the missiles came. He told me." 

He walked across the room and sat on the bed. The light from FH reflected on her face, and he saw it was wet with tears. 

"I'm sorry," he said. 

Rinoa didn't respond, and the desire to just leave took him. He fiddled with his gloves and stayed put. 

"How did he die?" 

"He was murdered. They found him in his office in the Presidential Residence. The room was locked from the inside." Her voice was bitter. 

As he watched her, she began to cry in earnest. He stood and moved toward her, intending to give her some comforting gesture, but she held out her hand to stop him. 

"Oh please," she spat. "Don't act like you care." 

Seifer stopped and stood rooted to the spot, suddenly furious. "I'm not a completely insensitive bastard, Rinoa, no matter what you may think. You always act so crazy, you can't blame me for--" 

"Me crazy!" she laughed derisively. "Me! I'm not the one with delusions of grandeur here!" 

"You're wrong, princess," he said. "You're the one who thought she could take on the President of Galbadia with a few rebels and a moth-eaten train." 

Rinoa jumped to her feet and flew at him. She shoved him, but she was so slight it was nothing to catch her and hold her away from him. 

"And what about you?" she sobbed. "You and your dreams of power! Nobody in their right mind would let you drive a _schoolbus_, Seifer! Nobody!" 

"I'm driving more than a schoolbus now," he said grimly. "Now sit down and _shut up_." 

He swung her by the wrists onto the bed. She scrambled to a sitting position and looked up at him with every sign of hatred in her face. 

"Cid just gave me command of Garden," he said shortly. He watched her mouth fall open with immense satisfaction. "It's SeeD's destiny to defeat the sorceress, and I'm going to lead us to victory. If you don't like it that's fine. You're welcome to leave." 

Rinoa closed her mouth and stared at him. Her eyes widened and the hatred on her face vanished and was replaced with icy determination. 

"I'm coming with you," she said fiercely. "That sorceress killed my father and I'm going to kill her. I'll go to the ends of the earth if I have to, but she's going to _pay_." 

Seifer stared down at her, amazed. 

"And if you try to stop me I'll kill you, too," she finished, glaring at him. 

"I won't stop you," he told her. "I promise I won't." 


	7. Trabia

* * *

**TRABIA**

* * *

_"I thought it was love, but I've come to realize it wasn't. It was my childhood feelings as a big sister that lingered." -- Quistis Trepe_

Irvine leaned against the lip of the fountain, crossed his arms, and tried to ignore the slow, sick churning in his stomach. 

Fisherman's Horizon technicians had finished their repairs on Balamb Garden's engines yesterday afternoon, in the same hour that Selphie had strenuously demanded release from the infirmary, where she had been recovering from exhaustion. As B-Garden disengaged from its unintentional docking at FH and began the slow journey north, the hum from its newly repaired engines now nearly inaudible, Selphie had been streaking toward her quarters, wrapped in a sheet ripped from a hospital bed. An indignant Doctor Kadowaki and an amused Irvine had trailed after her. 

He raised his chin and peered out from under the brim of his hat. Selphie, who was nervously hopping in place and swinging her arms vigorously, was now fully recovered and fully clothed. And Irvine was definitely no longer amused. 

His stomach lurched again. The sick feeling inside him was growing stronger, and he wished for the hundredth time that he didn't have to tell them. But he knew that he had to, and from the moment he had cornered Seifer in the cafeteria and asked for this expedition to Trabia, he'd known that he would. 

It had been easier in Deling City. He hadn't been sure until he'd seen her in person, and after that there hadn't been time to make revelations. He'd tried to tell himself that it was better that the others didn't know. He'd planned to tell them after, and had been prepared to face their anger when they'd realized what he'd done; better angry at him than guilty about what their own actions, he figured. But he hadn't counted on his own weakness, or Seifer's strength. 

"Where are they?" Selphie said, unknowingly voicing his own opinion. 

"There's Zell," he said, pointing. 

The sound of sneakers squeaking against the marble floor grew louder, and Zell greeted them with a wave and a smile. "Where's Seifer?" 

"I dunno," said Selphie. "Who's that?" she said suddenly, as a young platinum-haired woman with a severe look on her face approached. 

Irvine shrugged, taking in her eyepatch and masculine garb. 

"That's Fujin," said Zell. "She's on the DC. One of Seifer's friends." 

Fujin stopped a little way from them, clasped her hands behind her back, and stared at the wall opposite her. 

"When's Seifer gonna be here?" Selphie asked her loudly. Fujin's gaze slid to the side for a moment, but she did not answer. 

Selphie frowned momentarily, then stood on one leg and peered over her shoulder at the heel of her boot. Irvine watched as she switched feet, and his stomach settled briefly. 

"There he is," said Zell, and even Fujin turned her head to watch Seifer skirt the Directory as he approached them from the elevator, Rinoa in tow. 

"Ready?" Seifer said. Selphie nodded quickly and hopped in place, clearly impatient. "Raijin's going to take Garden for a spin, see how it handles the mountains around here. He'll be back in an hour." 

The entrance to Garden's outer court had been replaced with a mottled blue and cream wall when the school tore free from the ground the week before. This new wall detached and swung outward, forming a ramp from the belly of B-Garden to the ground. Cool Trabia air slipped in through the wide opening, curling around and past them into the Garden proper. 

The six of them trooped out onto a gray flat space just east of a cliff wall. To their east were the green and gray plains of Trabia, and to the north Irvine could see white-capped mountains. Above them, long-tailed birds glided through the sky, calling to each other with faint, musical cries. The sun was warm on his face, but the breeze was persistent and cold, and he was glad he had worn his coat. 

"Where's T-Garden?" said Zell, looking around. 

"We're really close," Selphie said, hurrying forward. "It's set in a depression so you can't see it unless you're right on top of it." 

The ground trembled and the faint thrum of Garden's engines sounded in his ears. A minute later it glided over their heads, its wide base rotating slowly and glowing blue and green. The sun gleamed on its outer shell as it traveled north. 

Irvine watched Selphie trail her fingers along the jagged edge of the cliff face as she walked. Zell and Rinoa looked eastward over the sun-dappled plains, where a herd of dual-horns was grazing, too distant to be alarmed by the presence of humans. Seifer, like Selphie, looked forward, waiting for the break in the cliff face to appear. 

Fujin, Irvine was startled to realize, was watching him watch the others. But when he nodded to her her gaze slid back toward the ground, over which loose stones were scattered, treacherously waiting to roll the ankles of unwary walkers. 

Irvine looked again toward Selphie, who had broken free of their party and ranged ahead. She stood, fingers still touching the wall of rock beside her, and seemed to be staring at the point where the cliff began again, several hundred yards ahead of her. From his vantage point at the rear of the company, he couldn't see for sure, but he assumed they had reached the recess where Trabia lay hidden. 

Selphie's hesitation was only momentary; she straightened her shoulders and darted around the edge of the cliff and out of sight. 

Irvine and the others followed more slowly. 

Selphie stood in front of T-Garden's gates, her back to Irvine and her arms limp at her side. Beyond her, he could see the scorched and shattered wreckage of what had once been her home. The gates had been melted by the heat of the missiles' explosion, twisted into a solid wall of metal. On either side of the gates, the outer walls of the building had been blown away; crumbled in some places, missing entirely in others, and in a few sad spots still curving resolutely upward, trying to support a ceiling that was no longer there. 

Irvine watched Selphie pick her way through one of the gaps in the walls and disappear behind the gates. He rushed to follow her and caught her by the arm as she ran toward the middle of the campus. 

She was crying, but she looked more angry than sad. 

"Selphie," he said. 

"Listen," she said fiercely, not looking at him. "I'll meet you by the fountain up there in a bit. I just want to look around and see if there's anyone here, okay?" She tugged her arm out of his grasp and dashed forward. 

He turned back to look at the others. They were picking their way carefully through the rubble toward him, and he relayed her message. 

"We may as well go wait for her," said Seifer. 

"Yeah, I don't think I want to see any more," said Zell sadly. He carried a singed, blackened backpack in his hands. As Irvine watched, Zell crouched and set it carefully back on the ground. 

The fountain was nearly untouched, though the water in it was gone. They stood on a patch of empty, cracked pavement. Rinoa sat on the edge of the fountain, her chin in her hands, and gazed at the ground. 

The waiting was not made easier by the frequent, echoing cries of Selphie, calling out for anyone who was still there to respond. It was clear to Irvine that the place was completely deserted. Whether the inhabitants of T-Garden had accepted Squall's offer of placement within Galbadia or had simply fled, Irvine didn't know. 

Eventually, Selphie returned. Her hands were filthy, but her face was composed. 

"Let's get out of here," she said at once. 

The others began to move, but Irvine screwed up his courage and said, "Wait." 

Everyone looked at him, and he realized suddenly that his hands were sweating. "I have something I need to tell you," he said, looking around at them. 

Rinoa lowered herself back onto the edge of the fountain, watching him. 

"It's about Edea," Irvine said, sighing. "I couldn't understand, when we went to Deling City, why you were so cavalier about what we were going to do. I thought maybe you just hadn't made the connection. But after, when we were in D-District and later, and nobody mentioned it, I finally got it: you guys just don't remember." 

"Remember what?" Seifer said sharply. 

Irvine grimaced. "I knew right when I met you in Galbadia Garden. The moment I saw you." He looked at Zell and Selphie's puzzled faces, and then at Seifer, who looked annoyed and skeptical. 

"Cut to the chase, Kinneas," he said, scowling. 

"Bear with me, Seifer." He couldn't stop himself then; he began to pace. "I was raised in an orphanage before I came to Galbadia Garden. There were a lot of kids there who'd lost their parents in the Sorceress War. I wish I knew where the orphanage was. I've tried looking them all up, but there were a fair few back then and I've had no luck." 

He spoke slowly, wondering if they would remember, but knowing either way that he had done his duty in telling them and that his conscience could rest easy about them, at least. His duty to Edea was another story, but they would all tackle that problem together. 

"I remember that it was on the beach. It was a stone building, and the ocean was behind it. There was a meadow to one side, and I used to run through it. The wildflowers were taller than I was…" 

"The lighthouse," said Selphie, her voice full of wonder. "We weren't supposed to go there, it was dangerous. But we wanted to… and I think we might have, once..." 

Irvine bowed his head, relieved. He'd worried that they wouldn't remember at all, that he'd simply look foolish and fond of melodrama. 

"That's amazing, Irvine!" Selphie exclaimed, a delighted smile on her face, the wreckage around them forgotten. "We were at the same orphanage, I can't believe it!" 

Irvine smiled back at her. "That's not all," he said, looking toward Zell and Seifer. Both seemed far away in thought. 

"I was there," Seifer said after a moment, but did not elaborate. 

Irvine nodded, and looked questioningly at Zell. As he watched, Zell's expression turned from one of concentration to one of bewilderment. 

"You set off fireworks," he said finally. "But you should have waited… I ran to tell… to tell…I don't remember!" 

Zell stumbled backwards and sat heavily on the edge of the fountain next to Rinoa. "How can I remember this? I'm not an orphan, I have a mother!" he said. He bent forward and put his hands in his face. "I thought I did," he said, his voice muffled. 

There was a short silence as the rest of them tried not to look at Zell's trembling shoulders. 

"You always were a crybaby," Seifer said at last, but there was no cruelty in his words. "I don't know what you're upset about. If anyone should be pissed of it's me. I sure as hell didn't get adopted." 

"Neither did Squall Leonhart," he continued, fixing Irvine with a piercing stare. "Or Quistis Trepe." 

"I think she did, actually," said Irvine. 

Seifer shrugged. "I don't remember much about her, just that she was always trailing around after Leonhart." He smiled nastily. "That's pretty much all I remember from recent years, too." 

Rinoa spoke up. "What about you, Fujin? Were you there?" 

Fujin stiffened. She glared at Rinoa as though the girl had slapped her, although from what Irvine could tell, Rinoa was trying to be friendly. 

"No," mused Seifer. "Raijin and Fujin are orphans, but they were raised in Galbadia." Fujin's gaze shot from Rinoa to Seifer. A look of shock and hurt flashed over her face for a moment but was replaced almost instantly with her usual expression of bored disinterest. 

"But why didn't we remember before?" Selphie said suddenly. "You said you knew as soon as you met us, but why didn't we recognize you? Why didn't we remember?" 

"I think it's because I never junctioned a GF until very recently. It wasn't part of the sniper program at G-Garden," he said. He'd been turning the idea over ever since Deling City, and it seemed to fit. 

"But I thought that was just a rumor, GFs causing memory loss," she said. 

Irvine shrugged, and Seifer spoke up again. "It doesn't matter why. Irvine, you said this was about Edea." 

They were getting to the crux of it, Irvine knew, and he found that his stomach was strangely calm. 

"Matron," said Zell. He emerged from behind his hands, looking unhappy. "She ran the orphanage." 

Selphie raised her hand and touched the upturned tips of her reddish-brown hair. "She had long, black hair. I remember that. She was so pretty. And she was so nice!" she gasped. "How can that awful woman be our Matron?" 

"That's what I don't know," said Irvine. "I remember her that way too, but it's definitely her, and I don't understand how she could have turned out this way." He sighed. "I just thought you guys should know. I mean," and he looked at Seifer, "she's our goal. We're going to kill her… right?" 

There was a long moment of silence. 

"Yeah," said Seifer finally. "We are." Seifer looked at Zell and Selphie, and then Irvine. "Look, people change. She changed. Whatever she used to be doesn't matter, she's dangerous and crazy now and she's got to be stopped." 

"But kill her?" Irvine said. 

Seifer stared at him, and then said, "It's like with a dog. If your dog goes rabid, it has to be put down, no matter how little you want to do it." 

Everyone stared at Seifer. Then Zell ventured, "You have a dog?" 

"Of course not," Seifer snapped. "I just know how it works." 

Behind him, Rinoa was smiling, the first smile Irvine had seen on her since the missile base. 

"Anyway, that's not the point. We've still got a job to do, and knowing the past doesn't change that. If you feel like you can't do it, well, I won't make you." 

There was another silence. Selphie was looking again at the rubble surrounding them, Zell was staring at the ground, and Irvine was remembering Edea's sneering words to the cheering crowd that night in Deling City and the cold smile he had seen through the scope of his sniper rifle. 

"You're right," said Selphie, gazing at Trabia's ruined walls. "She's not the person she was when we were little. Even if she is our Matron, I'm going to fight her." Irvine gazed at her in admiration, feeling ashamed. Selphie had made the decision easily and he knew she'd follow through with it. 

Zell looked up at Seifer. "I'm in," he said simply. 

Seifer nodded, and turned to Irvine. "I need someone who knows Galbadia Garden. We're going to go after them with everything we've got, and then I'm going to take a few inside and we're going to finish it." 

The thought of creeping through Galbadia Garden, intent on killing Edea, came to him. He felt an unhappy twinge in his chest, but it was weak. 

"Yeah, I'll do it," he said.

+

Fujin stared out of the windows at the glinting water and tuned out Raijin's burbling, happy voice as he deftly manipulated Garden's controls. She watched the dark strip of land to the east that was Galbadia slide slowly by and tried not to feel useless and unhappy. 

They would reach the orphanage sometime tomorrow. Selphie, Zell, and Irvine had wanted to see it, Cid had told them where it was, and Seifer had allowed it, just as he had allowed the trip to Trabia. It was something to do in the meantime, while they tried to locate Galbadia Garden and its sorceress, but she didn't understand why any of them wanted to see it. Nostalgia was the term for it, she knew, but that didn't mean it made any sense. She could remember the orphanage she had grown up in, and had no desire to see it ever again. 

Fujin already knew how it would play out. Just as with Trabia, she would go down with them, say nothing, and spend the time watching her friendship with Seifer slip though her fingers. She would go with them because Seifer was going, because he had asked her to go with them into the sorceress's lair, but mostly because not going would be admitting that the Posse was finished. But it would be a feeble gesture. 

She knew in her heart that it was already over. 

She understood that people sometimes grew apart as they got older, but whenever she had tried picturing the end of the Posse it had not been like this. Not this quick, gentle, unnoticed dissolve that left the shell of their friendship intact and the inside hollow. She'd always imagined explosions. 

Raijin and Seifer had been her first and only friends. She couldn't remember ever being close to anyone else, and she thought it had been true for Seifer too. But she had learned two days ago in Trabia that he had had friends long before she had ever met him, and as much as she wanted to deny it, Seifer already belonged more to them than to her and Raijin. It was an old bond, stronger than Fujin's seven years of loyalty, and it hurt. 

She looked at Raijin beside her, still going on about how magnificent Garden was. Raijin hadn't noticed that anything was different. He was in love with B-Garden, and this was the infamous straw, the one that made her throat ache whenever she dwelled on it. Seifer was a loose cannon, and she'd always half-suspected that he would pull some insane stunt, go crazy, or get himself killed in some spectacular manner. But she'd always thought she'd have Raijin, after. 

If she had something to do, it might not have been so bad. Raijin had been sucked with absolutely no protest into the Head Pilot position. Irvine had been spending most of his time in the office below the bridge, poring over maps of Galbadia Garden. Selphie had been spending her time driving the Armsmaster out of his mind, and Fujin had even seen Rinoa in the Training Centre, panting and sweating, holding a sword with trembling wrists in a standard guard position while a patient instructor lectured her. And, of course, Seifer had thrown himself into the task of readying SeeD for battle with all of his considerable determination. 

The first change he had made was to scrap the rule that forbade students from carrying weapons outside of trips to the Training Centre. He had neatly reversed it, forbidding even the most junior students from leaving their dormitories without being armed, with the addendum that SeeDs were to be garbed in full battle gear at all times. Fujin's first trip to the cafeteria after this was implemented had been surreal; the sounds of voices raised in gossip and laughter were exactly the same as they always were, but sunlight had glinted off a hundred battle helmets and there were no kneesocks in sight. 

Seifer had Xu running emergency drills several times a day. The klaxon was the signal for SeeDs to swarm out of every corner of Garden toward whatever destinations she had designated over the PA system. The first drill that had included junior classmen had resulted in a furious Xu commandeering the main assembly hall for a mass dressing-down. Less than half of the underclassmen had responded to the drill at all, apparently having tuned out the announcement while the SeeDs were being directed to the library and the cafeteria. She'd shouted at the top of her voice into a megaphone at them for nearly twenty minutes, her fury audible even from the bridge. Seifer had gravitated to the noise and glanced in, but Xu had them well in hand and he'd left, looking satisfied. 

Garden was full of excited bustle these days. The Training Centre was so swamped that all but the most belligerent monsters had taken to hiding in the bushes. GFs were exploding into being in every open space available, so that the inner court looked like ground zero for a fireworks display. 

"Want to give it a go, Fujin?" 

She blinked and looked sideways at Raijin, who was indicating the controls and grinning. 

She stared at him for a moment, then kicked him with a steel-toed boot. Raijin yelped and jumped up and down on one foot, clutching his shin. For a moment, things felt almost normal, but it passed quickly. 

"Look, that's the last of Galbadia," he said. She looked, and saw that the smudged line of land to the east ended several miles to the south. Beyond it was open water, and Centra. 

Tomorrow, she thought, but she felt no anticipation. 

"Lunch," she said. 

Raijin, eyes on the waves below, didn't answer, and she knew that for him she wasn't there at all. 

She took the small lift down to the office. Seifer and Irvine bent over a map on the second desk, heads together. Seifer had a finger planted on the map, and Irvine was shaking his head. The old Seifer would never have been caught dead talking to someone like Irvine, and she felt the sharp edge of mourning again. The old Seifer would have taught anyone who dared to ask questions about her past life a sharp lesson. 

Neither looked up as she passed. 

Alone in the elevator, she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, grateful for the small, quiet space. She removed her hands from her face just before the door whooshed open, and was glad she had, for Rinoa and Selphie piled into the elevator, the latter laughing loudly. 

"Hey, Fujin!" Selphie said cheerfully. 

"Hi," said Rinoa. 

Fujin nodded reluctantly and slid past them into the inner court. There was silence behind her before the doors closed, and she stood in front of the elevator feeling lost and slightly embarrassed. 

She'd been intending to eat but now she wasn't hungry. She set off aimlessly along the curved walkway toward the Quad, dodging SeeDs who scurried past her, intent on their errands. She turned into the corridor to the Quad, wanting a little peace and unwilling to retreat to her quarters. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and she'd been dead wrong in thinking the Quad might be deserted. Seifer had been adamant about GF training, as GFs were SeeD's big advantage over soldiers who only used paramagic, and there was limited room inside. Everywhere she looked, SeeDs stood, concentrating hard, and GFs streaked through the air overhead, pale and transparent in the bright sunshine. 

Appalled at the din, Fujin stood rooted to the spot. Frustration flashed through her-- all she wanted was a little fresh air and quiet. 

The klaxon screamed. The noise was earsplitting; she was standing right under the speaker. 

"_DRILL TIME_," Xu's voice rang through the speaker. "_EVEN NUMBERED SEEDS TO THE DORMITORY ENTRANCE. ODD NUMBERED SEEDS TO THE FRONT GATE. UNDERCLASSMEN RING THE SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY. ANYONE USING THE ELEVATOR WILL WISH THEY'D NEVER BEEN BORN. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES._" 

The speaker fell silent. Cadets and SeeDs parted around Fujin as they ran to the door, jostling her and each other. She elbowed her way forward into the Quad, irritably aware that she was in the way, and sank down onto a bench in the shade. 

Within seconds the Quad was empty. Fujin sighed, leaned her head against the back of the bench, and tried to relax. She'd have at least a half hour of peace, and maybe then she'd be hungry. 

A scraping sound reached her ears and she realized she wasn't alone after all. She turned her head slightly and looked for the source of the noise. 

She recognized Zell Dincht immediately. Nobody else she knew had that awful haircut. 

He was riding a T-board, veering in an arc along the Quad's balcony, his body in the graceful slouch that seemed to be the standard posture for T-boarders. As she watched, he crouched slightly and launched himself off the board. The bottom edge of his shoe snagged the side of board as he rose into the air, and she thought briefly that he was going to fall when he came back down. But the board began to spin neatly along its length underneath him, and she realized it had been intentional. A moment later he landed on the surface of the board with effortless timing, and continued along his curve. 

He spun the board again, this time with the other foot. She was impressed against her will; he made it look easy, and she was certain that it wasn't. 

Then he rode the T-board straight up into the air. When his body was almost horizontal to the ground his feet left the board. One hand shot out and touched it, and then he was moving too fast for her to pick out the individual movements of his aerial acrobatics. He was touching the board with just two fingers when gravity reasserted itself, and she watched happily, happily prepared to stroll down to the infirmary and request medical aid, but then the board was under his feet again and he was shooting toward the ground. He leaned back, but the board still scraped gently along the floor of the Quad. 

"Tch," she heard him say. 

Fujin snorted. Then she scowled, but he hadn't heard her. 

Dincht zoomed nearer, and she saw that he was sweating heavily, which was understandable with the hot sun and the effort required for what he was doing. He was red-faced, and looked unhappy. 

She watched him thoughtfully. He was on Seifer's strike team too, part of the Centra orphanage gang, and obviously had as little to do as she did. She remembered his reaction to the news that he was adopted, and the knowledge that someone other than her thought the orphanage deal was utter crap made her feel a bit better. Someone else was as bored and miserable as she was. 

She brightened. 

Zell noticed her then, and raised his hand in greeting. "What's up?" he said absently as he whizzed past. 

"Not much," she replied. 

Zell's head swiveled back toward her, his mouth open in surprise. Then he crashed into a trashcan and flew face first into a potted tree. 

Fujin smirked and stood up. 

Lunchtime!

+

Seifer stood on the bridge and watched Centra flow by. Today had turned out to be windy, much to Raijin's displeasure, and the sky was thickly spotted with clouds. Garden slid through patches of sunlight and shadow, and outside the air was as cool as it had been in Trabia. 

But Trabia had smelled green and fresh, and Centra stank of rot and contamination. The fetid smell had permeated through B-Garden's ventilation system within an hour of their ascent onto land. He had Raijin flying Garden low over the ground, the better to examine the landscape, but he would probably fly them a bit higher soon to try and evade the stench. 

Centra seemed to be a strange combination of desolation and lurid growth. They'd passed over a lush forest a few minutes ago that had been appallingly green compared to the dun earth surrounding it. 

Seifer stared at the ground; they were passing over another wide depression where the earth seemed to have sunk. The dirt there was gray and the grass was a sickly yellow-green, veined thickly with black, rotting vegetation. He suspected that the sinkhole was glowing faintly, but then they passed into sunlight again and he couldn't tell. 

"It looks a lot better," Cid said cheerfully beside him. 

"You're kidding," Seifer said. 

"Oh no. It was much worse ten years ago." 

The sinkhole passed underneath them and Seifer fancied that the stench increased. "I don't remember it smelling like this." 

"Well, the Cape of Good Hope is on the very western edge of Centra. It escaped the worst of the Lunar Cry, and anyway the wind comes in from the sea there. But that's one of the reasons we planted the flower field." 

"The smell? What was the other reason?" 

"Edea liked flowers," said Cid simply. "Poppies, jeweled doilies, dragon's eyes. All sorts. Long grasses, too. We didn't plant roses though, not with you kids around. Thorns, you know." 

A flash of memory came to him: hiding in the grass, the scent of flowers and the buzzing of insects all around him, waiting to spring out onto Zell, who tended to scream piercingly when surprised. 

"How close are we?" 

"Just a few minutes, I think." 

"Boss," said Raijin slowly, but Seifer had seen it too. 

Time seemed to stretch. His eyes were fixed on the red gleam on the horizon, and as if in a dream, his hand reached out and pressed the button that activated the klaxon. Its shrill cry echoed faintly up the elevator shaft. 

"Full speed, Raijin," he murmured. "And get us down as low as you can." 

He reached for the microphone to the PA system, still feeling as though the air was as thick as molasses. His fingers wrapped around the microphone's silver stem and time seemed to snap like a rubber band back to its normal pace. 

"This is not a drill!" he barked into the microphone. "We're going to be stepping all over Galbadia Garden in less than five minutes, so listen up! SeeD ranks ten through thirty assemble at the main entrance; ranks one through nine, form up behind them. A-ranks, I want you patrolling the second floor, make sure you've got your comms. Underclassmen ring the inner court. Instructors, I want you with them. Strike team and Xu: meet me in front of the elevator." 

As he spoke, Balamb Garden dipped closer to the ground and accelerated. Ahead of them, Galbadia Garden hovered, looking like a blood tick suspended in the air. 

"I repeat: this is not a drill…" He repeated his orders, watching G-Garden grow closer. 

He turned the microphone off and the klaxon resumed its wailing. He planted both hands on the control panel and glanced at the security monitors Raijin had installed with the help of the FH technicians. Already he could see people arriving in the inner court. 

"Are we at full speed yet?" he said, turning back to the window and the view of G-Garden. 

"Just about, boss." 

"Good. Don't slow down." He narrowed his eyes, straining to see what direction G-Garden was facing. They weren't moving, so he was sure they hadn't seen Balamb Garden approaching yet. With luck, the Galbadians wouldn't notice anything until they were right on top of them. 

"What are you going to do?" said Cid anxiously. Seifer glanced at him; the headmaster's pace was as pale as milk. 

"We're going to knock them out of the sky," said Seifer. He turned to Raijin. "Ram into them-- get them on the ground. Set us down facing their main entrance and give us about a hundred yards. I want all their attention focused on SeeD." 

"Are you going to try and take Galbadia Garden?" said Cid, sounding strained. 

"We're going to get the sorceress," he said. "We'll play the rest by ear." Seifer pulled out the comm device that had been in his pocket for three days and held it out to Cid. "Trade me." 

The headmaster fumbled in his pockets for a moment and withdrew a smaller version of the device. Seifer took it from him, and Cid wrapped his fingers around the master comm like it was a snake that might bite him. 

"You're on message relay. This button for Xu, this one for me," he said, pointing. "Broadcast with this. The A-ranks each have one, and they may be calling for backup if Galbadia's together enough to deploy paratroops." 

"You're going to leave eight SeeDs to defend the second floor?" Cid said nervously. 

"Yes," he said shortly. 

Seifer turned away from him, looking again at Galbadia Garden. They'd covered half the distance between them while he'd been talking. How much time did they have? Two minutes? Three at the most, he thought. "I've got to get down there," he said to Raijin. "Warn us before we hit." 

"Sure thing, boss." 

Time seemed to lose cohesion again, but this time it leapt forward, so that Seifer felt like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond. One moment he was on the bridge lift, sinking to the office below, Cid and Raijin wishing him luck. The next he was in the emergency stairwell, the handrail hard under his hand as he launched himself over it onto the next set of stairs, and in hardly any time at all he was skirting the administrative column on the first floor, the klaxon filling the air with its wails. 

The inner court was crowded with SeeDs and underclassmen. Xu was among them, standing on the edge of the Directory's planter, her megaphone at her mouth and her free hand pointing arriving SeeDs to their positions. When he reached the elevator his strike team was waiting for him. He nodded to them and winced as he passed under the speaker. 

He yanked the comm out of his pocket. "Turn that siren off!" he shouted into it. 

A moment later the air rang with the shouts of people who had been trying to hear each other over the noise, and Xu was wending her way through lower level SeeDs toward him. 

Seifer strode forward to meet her. She looked cool and unruffled, her mussed hair where she had run a hand through it the only indication of stress. His respect for her rose a notch. 

"What's the plan?" she said. 

"Raijin's going to get them on the ground," he said, speaking fast. "Take the main group out onto the plain and keep G-Army busy. If you can push through into their Garden, do it, but keep them together. Right now it's strictly in and out; we'll slip in behind you and go for the sorceress, but they might have the whole Galbadian army stuffed in there and you're just a distraction. You may have to retreat fast. Keep them together," he repeated. 

Xu nodded. "What about these?" She gestured at the lower level SeeDs on either side of the Directory. 

"Split 'em. Fan half across the entrance here and station the others just outside. With any luck they won't see any action at all." 

The klaxon screamed again for a few seconds, and Raijin's excited voice sounded over the PA system. "_Everybody hold on to something, we're about to crash into them, you know?_" 

"This is it," Seifer yelled, grabbing Xu's arm and yanking her toward the Directory. He just had time to latch onto the Directory's planter with one hand when Balamb Garden smashed into Galbadia Garden with the speed and violence of a rushing train. 

The noise was incredible, louder even than the still-wailing klaxon, a snarling _CRUNCH_ of buckling metal and breaking glass. The klaxon went silent as Seifer tried to swing Xu toward the Directory and he could hear the shouts of other people who had not been completely prepared. He was still gripping Xu's forearm; she had not had the chance to grasp anything. 

The floor began to tilt as B-Garden continued pressing into the other academy, trying to push it into the ground. Garden groaned and creaked underneath the awful grinding sound of its outer shell scraping against Galbadia Garden's. Water sloshed out of the fountains and trickled over the floor. 

Xu twisted under his hand and seized his forearm in return. Seifer renewed his grip on the planter and grimaced in effort; the floor was still tilting and his arms and shoulders were taking on more of their weight. 

"_Here we go!_" Raijin shouted joyfully over the PA system. 

Somewhere below them, Galbadia Garden struck the earth with, the deep _THUD_ it made as it scraped through the ground overlaid by a sound like a gunshot, as if something large and metal had snapped in two. The floor pitched alarmingly and the water falling over the edges of the fountains slipped down the steep slope of the floor toward the main entrance. 

For a worried moment Seifer thought they might flip entirely, but then Xu lost her footing completely and all thought left him. Her entire weight hung off his arm and Seifer gritted his teeth with the effort of keeping both her and the planter in his grip. The muscles in his upper body burned and screamed in protest. 

And then Balamb Garden was free. Raijin pulled them up into the air, and with all the strength he could muster, Seifer yanked Xu toward him. She stumbled into him and hit him over the head accidentally with her megaphone. 

"Sorry," she shouted. He grabbed her around the torso, but it was wasted effort; Garden rocked in the opposite direction, straining to reach equilibrium, and they were pressed safely into the planter. Seifer let her go and reached for his comm. 

"Where are we?" he said, pressing the button that would reach Cid. 

"_Raijin's setting us down right now_," came the tinny reply. 

"I want that ramp opened as soon as we do. And tell him not to power down." 

"_Got it_." 

Seifer turned to Xu. "This is it. Get them out there as soon as that ramp's down." 

"Yes, sir," she said. Her eyes glinted as she pulled herself back on top of the planter and raised the megaphone to her mouth. 

He left her there, already shouting instructions, and returned to the elevator and his squad. Irvine and Selphie looked flushed and excited, Zell and Rinoa grim, and Seifer knew it would take more than a sloping floor to crack Fujin's cool façade. 

"That was fun!" Selphie said immediately. "Can we do it again?" Irvine chortled as the others gave her disbelieving looks. 

"Maybe later," Seifer said, and she crowed and dug her elbow into Irvine's ribs. "But we've got a job to do first." 

Behind him, the ramp was opening, shedding daylight into Garden. A strong gust of wind swirled green and brown leaves over them. One caught in Rinoa's hair. 

"So what are we doing?" said Zell. 

Seifer glanced over his shoulder. SeeD was already flowing down the ramp, and Xu had turned her attention to the backup forces. 

"Irvine here thinks he can get us in a side door. SeeD's going to distract G-Army, and with any luck we can slip past them and get to Edea." 

"When are we going?" said Rinoa. 

Over his shoulder he watched the lower ranks spread themselves across the main corridor. 

"Now," he said. He turned and shouldered his way through the line of SeeDs. 

The wind was stronger on the ramp, pulling at his long coat and making his eyes water. He ignored it and squinted toward Galbadia Garden. 

G-Garden was upright, and just as he had directed, Raijin had set them down so that they faced each other. Galbadia Garden had not had time to wheel around before they had struck; they had plowed through the earth sideways, carving a long furrow in the soil. 

Beside him, Irvine swore softly. "We wanted to get in that side," he said, pointing at the deep groove in the earth that exposed part of the underbelly of G-Garden. "There's an access door at ground level, but it will be too high up now." 

"The other side?" Seifer suggested. 

"There isn't a door there. But the dirt's all bunched up-- if there's enough of it we might be able to climb right up to the second floor." 

The dormitories were on the first floor, he knew. If they could bypass the first floor completely they would probably avoid most of the troops. 

"Sounds good to me." 

Blue-clad soldiers were already milling at Galbadia Garden's main gate, and he scanned the crowd in front of him for Xu. He found her at the rear of the main force, stalking aggressively back and forth along the line. Over the wind he could hear her amplified voice urging them forward. 

"Let's do it," he said. As they broke through the ranks of reinforcements he felt excitement rise up in him, hot and red, and he drew Hyperion. Finally, after all those empty days of waiting, he was going to deal out justice, and he was going to do it with the edge of his gunblade. 

He skirted the rear line of the loose SeeD formation, aiming for the buried side of G-Garden, and as he approached the curved corner of Garden's front face he heard the first crash of combat. He ran, coat and comrades behind him, the clash of metal weaponry and the weird cries of the Guardian Forces a roar in his ears. 

When they cleared the corner, the noise dropped off. Loose dirt and chunks of clay had been gouged up by Garden's slide, and just at the top of the swell of earth a series of windows reflected the afternoon sunlight. 

He pointed at the first window above them. "Where does that lead?" 

Irvine peered up at the window and thought for a moment. "There's a gymnasium a little farther, it's got windows. But that's probably the reception room." 

"Should be empty then," Seifer mused. 

Irvine shrugged. "I'd say so." 

"Stay here," Seifer ordered, and slung Hyperion over his back. He advanced on the hill of earth and tested it with his foot. The dirt was loose, but not as soft as he had feared, and as he scrambled to the top his boots sent small showers of soil cascading down the mound. 

Crouching at the top, he cautiously raised his head over the windowsill and examined the room. It was the reception room; it looked just as he remembered and it was empty. He ran his fingers along the edges of the window, looking for a way to open it, but he suspected that they weren't meant to open at all. 

Seifer tapped the glass with his fingers and cocked his head, listening. 

"Zell," he called over his shoulder. "Come up here." 

In seconds Zell was at his side, looking alert and ready for anything. 

"Think you can break it without getting hurt?" 

Zell's bright-eyed gaze turned to the window. He considered the glass for a moment, then drew his metal-knuckled fist back and punched the window hard. The glass shattered, spraying the carpeted floor of the reception room with sharp fragments. 

"Yup," he said. 

Seifer grinned. "Great. Knock those pieces out, will you?" 

More glass flew as he turned and beckoned to the others still waiting at the foot of the mound. When Zell had finished clearing the window, Seifer climbed inside. 

Galbadia Garden's PA system was still working, the unfamiliar voice issuing from it ordering G-Army to the main court. Seifer listened as he waited for the others to arrive, but heard nothing he hadn't expected: G-Army was focusing on keeping SeeD out of Garden, not on offense. 

When everyone was present, he turned to Irvine. 

"My money says she's watching the battle," Irvine said immediately. "You saw how she just watched us in Deling. She won't fight unless she's forced to, but I bet she wants to know what's going on." 

"Is there somewhere we can go to get a look at what's happening without getting involved?" 

Irvine frowned, thinking. "We're really close to the second floor balcony. You can see everything in the main court there, but if anyone notices us, we could have trouble. And we might run right into Edea, too, if she's up here watching." 

"That's the idea," said Seifer, drawing Hyperion. He strode to the door and grasped the handle. "Ready?" 

"The elevator to the bridge is right outside the door," Irvine said, hefting his shotgun. "There might be people. Just go left and we'll be at the balcony in no time." 

Seifer nodded. He turned the handle and flung himself through the door gunblade first. Two Galbadian soldiers stared at him in surprise from their posts outside the elevator. As he raced forward Fujin's jagged metal pinwheel whirred past his head and buried itself in the first soldier's face with a crunch. He fell, twitching and gurgling, to the floor. 

The hyper-awareness that always descended on him during battle kicked in as he swung Hyperion; he was aware of the second soldier's hand drifting toward his pocket and the frightened look on his face. The gunblade hacked into the junction of the soldier's neck and shoulder. Seifer pulled the trigger. 

The soldier staggered and fell to his knees. Blood fountained up out of the wound and as he fell forward onto his face Seifer gave the hilt a practiced twist and Hyperion came free, dark fluid trickling down the blade toward the hilt. He flicked the gunblade toward the ground sharply and blood spattered thickly across the smooth floor. 

Fujin crouched at the side of the soldier she had killed. She pressed one hand to the soldier's forehead and yanked at her pinwheel with the other. The weapon tore free with a wet, tearing sound, but Fujin's face was as impassive as ever. 

The encounter had cost them only seconds, and while Seifer and Fujin had been occupied with the soldiers, the others had skirted them and darted down the corridor toward the balcony. 

Seifer and Fujin dashed after them. Halfway down the hall they passed an unconscious Galbadian soldier slumped on the floor, a victim of Selphie's nunchaku, and he could see the others ahead of him at the end of the hall. 

They had pressed themselves against either side of the hallway, waiting for him. On one side Selphie and Irvine stood, faces pointed toward the battle, and on the other Zell also watched what was happening below. Only Rinoa's face, a pale oval framed by her dark hair, was turned toward him.

As he closed the space between them the din of battle grew deafening. The clash of weaponry and the angry calls of the Guardian Forces were punctuated with screams from the wounded, shouts of rage and triumph and amplified orders from both sides. 

He skidded to a stop at the end of the hallway, ready to give the signal to move out, but was distracted by the serpentine head that reared up in the center of the court on a long, curving neck. The Guardian Force hissed angrily at something on ground level and the head darted forward with the speed of a striking snake, water sluicing down its shining skin. 

"Slip out along the wall," he shouted over the clamor. 

He followed them out onto the balcony and scanned the court below. 

SeeD had pushed its way nearly halfway across the court in the first few minutes of battle, but now Galbadian soldiers were pouring into the court in force and the line of conflict was jagged, surging back and forth over the sigil marked into the very center of the floor. 

Guardian Forces were everywhere, emitting weird light and causing considerable confusion among the better-numbered Galbadians. Seifer watched a huge three-headed dog fly into the center of G-Army's line, ripping with its teeth and knocking soldiers aside with its thick tail. Nearby soldiers managed to push it back, and then it turned and loped toward the line of SeeDs, tail lashing furiously. It roared and sprang, and then the hissing serpent GF struck, wrapping wet coils around it and sending them both tumbling and skidding into a group of startled SeeDs. 

Rinoa elbowed him hard in the ribs, and he looked at her in surprise. She didn't try to talk over the racket, but pointed, and he followed her gaze across the court to the other side of the balcony. 

Squall Leonhart stood there, leaning against the wall with folded arms, watching the battle below dispassionately. 

Seifer wasted no time; he tore off along the balcony, heedless now of attack from below, neither knowing nor caring whether the others followed behind him. He kept his eyes fixed on Squall, and when he had covered half the distance between them Squall's gaze moved upward and landed on Seifer. 

Squall watched him for a moment, apparently unconcerned that he was bearing down on him like a speeding train. Finally he pushed himself away from the wall and drew his gunblade, eyes still on his face. 

Then he turned and walked unhurriedly through the double doors behind him, propping his gunblade on his shoulder as he went. 

Rage surged through Seifer as he sprinted toward the doors. Squall was a one-trick pony, always trying to infuriate with simple indifference. The fact that it always worked was not lost on Seifer, but it only made him angrier. 

His hand closed on the handle of one of the doors and he barely avoided slamming into the other from the momentum of his mad sprint. He tugged on the handle and threw himself into the room, Hyperion at the ready. 

The room was the bottom level of a large circular auditorium. Ten feet above him, tiered seats looked down upon a raised dais and podium, but the floor around and in front of him was empty except for Squall. He stood in front of the dais waiting for him, gunblade loose in one hand and eyes fixed on Seifer's face. 

Seifer's gaze traveled upward as he registered movement above him, just in time to see Edea stand from her seat behind the podium, her elaborate headdress chiming softly. Her golden eyes were upon him, and as he watched she smiled at him, a cruel smile that made anger flare inside him. 

"You're the legendary SeeD destined to face me?" 

"Shut up, witch," he told her. He paced closer, his eyes on Squall, who watched him with narrowed eyes and brought his second hand around to grip the hilt of his gunblade. 

"I must say I thought there would be more of you," the sorceress said, her voice brimming with amusement. 

"There are," he said, watching Squall pull his gunblade up into a guard position. "There's a whole Gardenful right outside." 

The doors slammed open behind him. "Matron," he heard Irvine say, and he glanced up to see her grinning even more widely. 

"Yes," Edea said. 

Her agreement seemed to incense Irvine. "No!" he shouted, and he rushed forward into Seifer's line of vision, his hand full of fire, and threw it at her. Edea laughed and deflected the spell with a wave of her hand. It hit the smooth wall of the auditorium, singeing the white finish. 

"Take her!" Seifer shouted. 

A flicker of movement warned him just in time. He ducked instinctively; the gunblade sliced over his head and he whirled in his crouch and slashed at Squall's legs. 

Squall's legs weren't there. Seifer jerked his free elbow back as hard as he could, grinning in satisfaction when it connected solidly with solid flesh. There was a grunt and he twisted in place, raising Hyperion to block the overhand blow he knew was coming. 

The gunblades crashed together, blades scraping to a halt near the hilts and raising sparks. Seifer gritted his teeth and pushed as hard as he could, rising inexorably out of his crouch. Cords stood out on Squall's neck as he strove to prevent it, but Seifer was stronger. He pressed his advantage and forced Squall to take a step back. 

"Thought you didn't fight dirty," Seifer said. 

A shower of sparks fell over them from the spells shooting through the air above, glowing red and blue and frost-white. Squall stopped trying to push him back and whirled away from him. 

Seifer pointed his blade straight at his opponent's chest and beckoned with his free hand. "Come on." 

Squall did not oblige; he stepped to the side, gunblade raised and eyes calculating. Seifer moved warily in response, and they circled slowly, each waiting for the other to move first. 

When he was facing the podium again, Seifer grew tired of waiting. He dropped the tip of his gunblade and lunged forward, bringing the tip in an upsweep that would rake the other from crotch to throat. 

Squall darted back as Seifer had guessed and tried to sweep Hyperion aside. Seifer batted the other gunblade out of the way easily and Hyperion whirled and bit into Squall's upper arm. 

Something stung his wrist. Seifer gritted his teeth against the sharp pain and brought Hyperion around again, smashing the flat of the blade into the side of Squall's head. 

The other man staggered, blood trickling down from his hair and staining the white shirt he wore under his coat. He dropped to one knee, shoulders heaving, and propped himself up with his gunblade. 

Taken aback by this show of weakness, Seifer paused, sure it was trickery. But Squall looked up at him and he saw that he was only half-conscious. His face was white and the skin under his eyes looked almost translucent. He was exhausted. 

Their fight had lasted less than a minute, nothing strenuous enough to account for the gray tinge to his face, and Seifer realized he must have been very tired before they'd even started fighting. 

He stared down at Squall, frustration rising in him. He'd wanted so badly to fight him on even terms. What kind of a victory was this, when his opponent passed out from exhaustion after the first few blows? 

"Damn you," Seifer said furiously, and brought Hyperion around again. The flat of the gunblade hit Squall above the ear, knocking him sprawling to the ground. His gunblade clattered across the floor. Squall didn't rise, and Seifer turned away in disgust. 

Edea snarled from the podium at the SeeDs arrayed across the room, gloved fingers flicking silver arrows toward them. She was unbelievably fast, blocking everything sent her way with ease. For every spell she blocked, she sent five more their way, and Seifer could see they were in trouble; Selphie sagged against the wall, and as he watched she was hit full in the face with a wedge of the sorceress's silver light. 

She collapsed, and Seifer murmured a word that sent a jet of cool green light toward her. Selphie stumbled to her feet, looking confused, and Seifer turned toward the woman on the dais. 

Edea was watching him, her eyes blazing furiously. "Enough play," she growled, and stabbed a finger toward Squall on the floor. A pool of purple-black liquid welled up around him, thick and reflective, and as he watched Squall sank down into it. Then both Squall and the pool were gone and the sorceress became very still, still staring at Seifer, her eyes half-lidded and glowing softly. 

The spells she was no longer bothering to deflect fizzled a foot from her, though one gauzy portion of her headdress caught fire and smoldered. She raised her arms in the air and with a chill Seifer saw that ice shards were growing above her splayed hands. 

"Not this time," he said, and called Ifrit. 

The whole room caught fire, flames licking up the walls and curling across the distant ceiling. Then the world went a fuzzy red, and the next thing he knew Edea was standing at the foot of the dais, arms raised, her headdress a blazing inferno, flames running up her dress from the hem to the tips of her fingers. She burned like a torch, and she was smiling. 

He reached for the one really strong spell he had, but before he could do more than think about casting it, Rinoa threw her hand out and a glowing white ball of magic erupted out of the air and hurtled at the sorceress. 

The holy spell quenched the flames, but the sorceress screamed and fell to her knees, clutching at her head. Her weird cry hurt his head, a shrill shriek that seemed to have no ending, and he winced as it went on and on. 

The spell exploded, coating everything with misty white, and the next thing he knew he was on his back on the floor. He fumbled for Hyperion and staggered to his feet, feeling groggy and confused. The others were picking themselves up too, and he looked for Edea. 

She was curled on her side at the foot of the dais, white smoke pouring into the air from her body, and he moved toward her unsteadily. When he reached her he bent and seized her wrist in a grip shaking from aftershock. She felt hot, but he noticed uneasily that she didn't seem to be burned. He pulled on her wrist and she rolled onto her back bonelessly, her entire body limp. 

Seifer wondered if she was dead and was reaching for a pulse when her eyes opened. His grip on her wrist immediately tightened, the shakiness from being knocked out forced away by this new shock, and she looked up at him with wide blue eyes. 

"Seifer," she said softly. 

He let go of her wrist, but she reached out and took his hand. Irvine joined them, kneeling on Edea's other side, looking anxious. Edea turned her head and smiled at him. "Irvine," she murmured, and then, "Selphie… Zell," as the others approached. 

She turned her gaze back to Seifer, eyes widening. She struggled to sit up, and Irvine slung an arm around her shoulders. "Where's Ellone?" she demanded. 

Seifer looked up and met Irvine's worried gaze. 

"Did I protect Ellone?" she pleaded. "Tell me I protected her…" 

"You did," Irvine reassured her. Edea slumped in his arms, her eyelids fluttering shut as she lost consciousness. 

"What was that all about?" said Zell. 

"I don't know, but we're getting the hell out of here right now," Seifer said. He nodded to Irvine, who stood, picking up Edea's limp form as he did so. Seifer reached for his comm and pressed the button that would reach the bridge. 

"Cid, tell Xu to withdraw now." He paused, trying to figure out what to tell him. His voice sounded tired even to his own ears. "We've got Edea. She's alive, and we're getting out of here, but we can't bring her into B-Garden and I think… you should give your comm to Raijin and come meet us."

+

Afterward, Rinoa could remember very little of their flight from Galbadia Garden. There was a flash of Seifer, holding the comm to his mouth and shouting for Raijin to take off as soon as SeeD retreated into B-Garden, another of Edea's head bouncing on Irvine's shoulder as he ran down a hallway, and that was all. The blood she found on her sword later and the shallow cut down her forearm told her that they had run into at least one knot of Galbadian soldiers on their way out, but she remembered nothing of the fighting. Exhaustion, panic and possibly Shiva had taken those memories. 

She didn't mind. 

Her brain only started working properly again during their dash across the yellow-gray ground toward the orphanage by the sea. At some point she realized that her breath was burning in her chest and there was a stitch in her side. She lagged behind the others, watching them run easily and wondering just how much training it took to be able to run such a long distance so effortlessly. Even Irvine was far ahead of her, and he was carrying the burden of the sorceress. 

The ground trembled, and she stumbled and nearly fell trying to look over her shoulder. She gave up and stopped, looking her fill and panting. 

Galbadia Garden shuddered in its prison in the ground, and as she watched it shot into the air, lurching clumsily for balance. It swung around and headed west toward the sea. 

As the dust cloud kicked up by Galbadia Garden's retreat cleared, she saw that Balamb Garden was also moving, but it did not follow G-Garden. Instead it headed east, into the heart of Centra. 

A black and yellow speck speeded toward her from where B-Garden had been, and she shaded her eyes against the orange sunlight and realized it was a vehicle. 

"Cid's coming!" she screamed over her shoulder at the others, but they were close to the orphanage now and didn't hear her. 

Rinoa turned back to the approaching car. She jumped up and down and waved her arms in the air, hoping like mad that Cid would stop and pick her up. 

He did, screeching to a halt and spraying her with grit. She coughed weakly as she climbed in, and he took off before she even shut the door. 

"Is everyone okay?" he asked her quickly, eyes fixed on the stone house ahead. 

"Yeah," she said, wiping her mouth on one of her wristbands. "We got out fine, no problems." 

"What about Edea?" His voice cracked on his wife's name. 

"We trashed her pretty good," Rinoa said fiercely. Cid's face went white and she knew at once that she had said the wrong thing. "But I think she's just knocked out." 

"She seemed to know us at the end," she added. "She said their names before she passed out." 

"I see," said Cid, and he pressed down a little harder on the accelerator. 

Rinoa reached around and buckled her seatbelt discreetly. She had finally caught her breath, and the cut on her arm began to throb unpleasantly. Examining it, she saw with disgust that blood had trickled down and stained her left wristband. 

Her cheeks and forehead were hot, but she wasn't sweating. She worried, wondering if she was getting sick, or if it was normal after a battle to feel feverish and jumpy. She remembered feeling almost chilly at first with Shiva junctioned, and hastily checked to see that the GF was still with her. She was, and Rinoa frowned. She definitely shouldn't feel so warm. 

Then Cid turned the wheel sharply and the seatbelt pulled against her. She fumbled with the buckle as they came to a stop outside of the orphanage, and by the time she was free of the belt Cid was out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition and the door wide open. 

Rinoa chased after him, forcing her tired legs into action again, and caught up with him in the orphanage's narrow court. The white stone walls were still mostly standing, but some of the fluted columns supporting the stone overhangs were broken into pieces on the ground, and the ivy that had once climbed over them was brown and skeletal. 

The others were waiting for them, and as she approached she saw Cid kneel and take Edea's prone form in his arms. Irvine, who had been cradling her head and shoulders off the flagstones, stood and backed away respectfully. 

Cid looked down at the woman in his arms, love, hope and anguish written plainly across his face. He trailed his fingers down her cheek, and then leaned over her and began to tug gently at her blackened headdress. His hands were shaking and he fumbled with it for almost a minute before it came free, spilling Edea's long, dark hair down her back and over her shoulders. 

Cid looked at the headdress in his hand. Then he threw it violently to the side. It bounced along a flagstone and chimed softly one last time before coming to rest. 

"Edea," he said, touching her hair tenderly. "Edea, wake up." 

He continued saying her name, touching her hair and her face, and finally, her eyes opened. Edea stared up at him in confusion, her eyes half-lidded, and then her expression cleared and she sat up and curled her arm around Cid's neck. He slid his hand into her hair and she kissed him fiercely. 

Rinoa watched them, thinking what a strange picture they made. Cid was middle-aged, short, and slightly overweight, while Edea was the picture of young beauty. Then she remembered that Edea couldn't be as young as she looked, not if she'd raised Seifer and the others. She wondered if sorceresses aged. 

"I didn't think you'd ever come back," Cid whispered. He kissed Edea's cheek, and then her mouth again. 

"I wanted to," she said, clinging to him. 

"When you didn't come back from Trabia--" he said, and started over. "I should have been there with you. It's my fault." 

"No," Edea said. "She would have killed you." She pressed her forehead to his neck, and his hand smoothed her hair. 

Seifer cleared his throat and they broke apart. Only then did they seem to realize that six people were watching them. Edea flushed delicately, and Cid scrambled to his feet and offered his hand to his wife. 

"You were magnificent," she said to them as she rose to her feet. She smiled, and to Rinoa's surprise, the smile included her. Edea didn't let go of Cid's hand, but laced her fingers through his. They held hands like teenagers. 

"I know," Seifer said, "but who would have killed Cid?" 

"Sorceress Ultimecia," Edea said. 

"What?" Seifer said. "I thought there's only supposed to be one sorceress at a time." 

"That is true," she told him. "But this particular sorceress lives in the future. The distant future, many generations ahead of our time." 

"But how could she kill Cid if she lives in the future?" said Selphie. 

Edea made a graceful gesture with her free hand. "Through me. You see, for nearly three years she has been using my body as her own." 

"She possessed you?" said Seifer sharply. 

"Yes," said Edea, bowing her head. Her dark hair slipped over her shoulders. "She is a very powerful sorceress, full of rage and hatred. I couldn't stop her." 

"But what did she want?" said Zell. 

"She is after Ellone. She wants her power." 

"If she can send her consciousness back in time to possess you, what does she need Ellone for?" said Seifer. 

"Let me try to explain fully," Edea said. "You know that there is only supposed to be one sorceress at a time. When a sorceress dies, she passes on her powers to someone else. In fact, a sorceress cannot die in peace unless she does this. She will live in great pain for as long as it takes to get to a suitable heir. Now, do you know who Adel is?" 

"She was a bad sorceress," said Zell darkly. "She ruled Esthar about twenty years ago." 

"Yes. You lost your parents in the war she started. Most people think that I am her heir, but this is not so. I became a sorceress at the age of five, and Adel is still alive. Her powers are intact as far as I know. I believe Sorceress Ultimecia left me to try and possess Adel." 

"So you and Adel are both sorceresses, and both alive. How is that possible?" Seifer said. 

"I suspect that the sorceress two generations past split her powers when she died. She chose two heirs instead of one, I think. One was Adel. The other was the sorceress who gave me her powers." Edea shrugged delicately. "But I could be wrong." 

"This is confusing," said Zell. "I still don't understand about Ellone." 

"She has the ability to send people into the past. Sorceress Ultimecia can also do this, but I do not think she can reach as far as she wants to. She needs Ellone to boost her powers." 

"To what end?" said Irvine. 

"Time Compression," said Edea. "Unspeakable time magic. Her goal is to fuse the past, present and future together. Only she could survive in such a world." 

"Wow, that doesn't sound good," said Selphie. "So how do we stop her? Just keep Ellone safe?" 

"That is one solution," said Edea. "Ellone is in the hands of the White SeeD now. Protecting her is their only mission. But I think it would be better to prevent Sorceress Ultimecia from possessing sorceresses altogether. You fought me when she was within me. Just imagine how much more powerful she would be if she were to possess a sorceress like Adel, who is also full of anger and selfishness." 

"But sorceresses can't die unless they pass on their powers, you said," Seifer mused. "So even if we killed Adel, someone else would become a sorceress in her place. Unless you took her powers," he said to Edea. 

"I would be willing to accept her powers, yes. But you would still have one sorceress left." 

"I thought there was a way to suppress a sorceress's powers," said Selphie suddenly. 

"Odine!" said Rinoa. "I had that bracelet," she said. "I tried to put it on you in Deling City…" 

"Did you?" Edea said, smiling. "I would be happy to wear one now, if it solves our problems. I think getting my powers under control should be the first step." 

"So we need to find Odine, and then we can go after Adel," Seifer said. "Where does Odine live?" 

"Doctor Odine lives in Esthar, I believe. And Adel is probably there as well, though I assume the Estharians have her powers neutralized somehow; we would know if they didn't. I will go visit Odine." 

"We'll escort you," said Seifer immediately. 

"Yes," said Edea. "That is best. You are ready to do whatever is necessary should Sorceress Ultimecia possess me again?" Beside her, Cid went pale. 

"We are," said Seifer, reaching up to touch the handle of his gunblade. Edea nodded at him, smiling in perfect understanding.

+

"Shall I take your bags, sir?" Evans said. 

Quistis colored slightly. Why on earth had she bought all those flowers? It had seemed a good idea at the time; she had been charmed by the quiet, rustic village, and had loved the flowers that were the mainstay of decoration there: flowers in vases, in wreaths on doors, in planters outside windows. Flowers were everywhere in Winhill, lending their scent to the already fresh air, perfuming the wooden houses with their sweet fragrance. There were no flowers in Galbadia Garden, and she'd thought she'd bring some back to sweeten her quarters. 

She could smell them behind her now, their scent wafting through the open hatch of the skimmer, washing over Evans and exploring Galbadia Garden's docking bay. His expression betrayed no personal thoughts about her cargo beyond an interest in helping her get it all settled, and she was grateful that Squall had found himself such a diplomatic assistant. 

"Thank you," she said, handing over her canvasack. "You'll need a forklift to get the rest though. I seem to have run wild in Winhill." She smiled ruefully. 

"Sir, if you'd like to get cleaned up, I'll take care of these and inform Commander Leonhart of your arrival." 

"Thank you," she said. "How is he?" 

"He's fine, sir. Spent a little while in the infirmary, but nothing too serious." 

"Good," she said, and returned his salute before heading toward her quarters. 

It was late evening, and the halls were quiet. Her high heels clicked on the floor as she walked, and she felt a bit out of place in a dress. 

Three days ago she had gotten a message that she should rendezvous with Galbadia Garden here, in Trabia waters, rather than at the orphanage as they had planned. She was disappointed and annoyed; she had wanted to see the orphanage, but SeeD was present in Centra, once again disrupting her life. 

She let herself into her quarters and made a beeline to the bathroom. She showered and dried her hair, deciding it was late enough to warrant pajamas. 

When she emerged from the bathroom, she saw that Evans had arranged the flowers around her suite. Vases stood on nearly all of the flat surfaces, lightening the mood of the formal rooms considerably. Quistis smiled. 

She stretched, raising her hands high above her head, muscles warm and loose from the hot water. 

The doors to the terrace were open, she saw, and she was moving to close them when Squall emerged from the darkness outside. She halted and smiled at him. 

"You're back," he said, moving to meet her. "It's good to see you," he said, and kissed the corner of her mouth, his hands on her shoulders. 

Goosebumps erupted down her arms, and she was glad the long sleeves of the pajamas hid them. "You too," she beamed up at him. "You look tired, though." 

Squall smiled faintly. "I've had a concussion," he said, raising his hand and touching his hair just above the ear. "Not supposed to sleep." 

"For three days?" she said, aghast. 

He shrugged. "How was Winhill?" 

"We hit paydirt. She's not there, but she definitely used to be. I got a lot of information." 

"Such as?" 

"She was born there. I actually went in her old house. Her parents were killed when she was little, and a woman named Raine took care of her. She ran the bar next door. What I found out is that Esthar came to Winhill at some point and took Ellone. Raine's husband was Galbadian, and he went after her, but he never came back, and his wife died not long after he left. You won't believe this: his name was Laguna Loire." 

Squall's eyebrows lifted. "Laguna Loire. That's interesting." 

"I know." 

"And Esthar wanted Ellone. That's interesting too." 

"The villagers think Adel was looking for a successor," she said. "Not only that, but there's still some kind of benefactor who makes monetary donations to the town regularly. You should see the hotel I stayed at. There's hardly anyone living there, and I can't think a lot of people visit, but there's definitely money coming in." 

"I wonder," he said. 

"My guess is the Esthar government. Some kind of payment for the old government's treatment of Ellone, maybe. But what I don't understand is how she ended up at the orphanage in Centra if she was under Esthar's control." 

"I don't know." Squall shrugged. "I'll send someone to Esthar, see if we can't find out." 

"You aren't sending me?" she said, surprised. 

"No," he said. "Ellone can wait." 

Quistis didn't ask him what she would be doing. Instead she looked at him, watched the fall of shadow under his lower lip and the way the lamplight gleamed in his hair. She supposed it was common knowledge that G-Army's Commander slept in her bed, but they didn't know that the rumors were much more exciting than the reality of it. 

For one thing, she hadn't actually spent much time at Galbadia Garden at all. She'd visited Balamb, Fisherman's Horizon, and now Winhill, each of which had required days of transport. She had spent perhaps five nights in G-Garden over the last two weeks. 

Even when she had been making use of her quarters, Squall had been a scarce commodity. They had eaten meals together, and talked about the results of her excursions, but he attended the sorceress almost constantly, and if she woke in the night with Squall's silent, warm presence next to her, it had amounted to nothing. She never heard him enter or leave her quarters, and the first time she had stirred in the night with his breath blowing gently into her neck and his bare arm curled around her, she had thought she was dreaming. 

Quistis thought about how easy it would be to just take those few steps and kiss him the way he had kissed her two weeks ago. She wanted more than the brief kiss she had just received. She wanted everything; she wanted him. 

But there were dark circles under his eyes, and she knew he was tired. There would be plenty of time for other things if he really wasn't sending her out again, and Edea was gone. 

"So what are we doing in Trabia?" she said, instead of moving into his arms. 

"Speaking of Esthar..." he said lightly. "Come outside, I'll show you." 

He turned and walked outside onto the balcony. She followed, looking up as she stepped through the open doors. There was no moon and the sky was deepest black, studded with pinpricks of light; she had never seen the stars so clearly. A chill wind blew through her pajamas and tugged at her loose hair; she shivered and crossed her arms. It was a cold, beautiful night. 

Squall leaned his elbows on the balustrade and looked down into the water below. She joined him, scanning the dark waters for whatever he was seeing, but she didn't know what to look for. 

"I don't see anything," she said. Her teeth chattered and she hugged herself. 

"It's probably too bright," he said. "Wait here." 

Squall straightened and returned to the warmth and light of her quarters. She shivered and rubbed her hands along her arms, trying to stay warm. Behind her the light faded, leaving her in darkness. 

"Are you cold?" 

"A little," she said, willing her teeth not to clack together as she spoke. 

Squall stepped up behind her and put his arms around her. Something warm and soft moved against her knuckles, and it took a moment for her to realize that he had wrapped the blanket from the bed around them. 

His cheek rested against her hair. His mouth was very close to her ear. "Better?" he said. 

"Yes." 

"It's in the water down there. You'll be able to see it when your eyes adjust." 

Quistis unfocused her eyes and gazed down at the waves below. She was growing warm again with Squall pressed against her back, his hands holding the blanket shut at her shoulders. Cold air still seeped under the loose edges of the blanket, chilling her calves, but she didn't care. 

At last she saw it, there in the water. A faint green glow emanated from the depths of the sea below, shifting with the waves, pulsing brighter and fainter like a sinister green heartbeat. 

"What is it?" she said. 

"The Lunatic Pandora," he said. "Esthar sunk it here years ago. We're going to salvage it." 

"But what does it do?" 

There was a long silence, and when Squall spoke his voice was resigned. "It calls monsters. From the moon." 

Quistis frowned. "A Lunar Cry?" 

"We have to neutralize Esthar," he whispered in her ear. "It's the best way. A direct assault would cost too many lives, and without Edea I don't even know if we'd succeed. But if we drop a hundred thousand monsters on them they won't have the energy to harass us." 

She thought of the devastation in Centra. Esthar was alive and full of people, many more people than had once lived in Centra. 

"Are you sure it's the right thing to do?" she said. 

"Esthar hasn't responded to our overtures. We can't take the chance; I won't let Galbadians die in a war I can prevent. Esthar will hunt monsters instead." His voice was firm. 

"I wish there was another way." 

"So do I." He rearranged his hold on the blanket and pushed her hair out of his mouth, sliding a long piece of it through his fingers. 

They stood together, watching Lunatic Pandora's green glow, Squall still twining her hair around his fingers idly. 

"How long will it take?" she said after a while, relaxing against him. 

"A week, maybe. I don't know." He didn't sound very interested in the subject, and she reluctantly started to suggest they go inside, but his fingers trailed along her neck then, smoothing her hair away and exposing her skin to the cold air. The words caught in her throat. 

Squall bent his head and his lips brushed the bare skin of her neck. Slowly, she slipped her hand out of the blanket. His fingers wrapped around hers, and his mouth moved along her neck. 

Warmth shot through her and her breath hissed softly between her teeth. He released her fingers and she turned in his arms to kiss him. 

His mouth was gentle and cool, and she leaned against him, sliding her hands inside his jacket, touching the lean muscles of his back. One of his hands buried itself in her hair; the other was at her waist. He pulled her closer to him, his kiss becoming urgent, making her dizzy. 

The blanket slipped to the balcony floor. Quistis hardly noticed. Her heart beat as quickly and lightly as a bird's. The wind stilled and the scent of Winhill flowers drifted over them as Squall stepped backward, pulling her with him, gently, inexorably, toward the bedroom.

* * *

**Author's note:** I'd like to take the opportunity to thank DK for beta-reading this chapter. He pointed out some things that are now much better because of it. You probably know who DK is, but if you don't go straight to my favorite authors list and check his fics out. He's a far better writer than I am, and he has two new fics out that you should read immediately. 'Devotion' is the most chilling depiction of Squall/Rinoa I have ever come across, and 'Story' is probably the most moving FFVIII piece... _ever_. If you read, review, because he hasn't been getting the attention he deserves. 


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